


Brothers

by Graceful_Storyteller



Series: Stranger in the Nest [2]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (2012), Thor (2011)
Genre: Brotherly Bonding, F/M, Gen, cuteness, hopefully
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-18
Updated: 2017-01-11
Packaged: 2017-11-10 05:43:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 42,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/462839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Graceful_Storyteller/pseuds/Graceful_Storyteller
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>“Today’s lesson,” Loki says slowly, a sly grin growing across his lips, “is how to make fire.”</i><br/><i>Tony’s jaw drops as green flames erupt in the palm of Loki’s hand. “Wow,” he breathes. </i><br/><i>Loki smiles.</i>  </p><p>Basically Loki messes with the timeline and ends up Tony Stark's awesome protective older brother.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Tony

**Author's Note:**

> For prompt on Norsekink:
> 
> Tony somehow reveals that Loki's not the only one with Daddy issues. Loki doesn't believe him so goes back in time to see for himself. There he sees Howard earning his title of father of the year and gets angry. He decides to infiltrate the Stark family and become Tony's awesome protective big brother.

As soon as the lights go out and the sounds of the teacher’s footsteps have faded Tony rolls out of his bed and into his boots. Grabbing a flashlight and sweater from beneath his pillow, he silently makes his way out of the dormitory and into the dark corridor of the boarding school. With his back against the wall he edges slowly towards the light at the far end, the still dormant flashlight held between his teeth as he struggles into his sweater. He’s learnt from experience that nights here can be cold, especially if you’re forced to hide behind a statue for half an hour because two patrolling teachers have decided to take a break from their duties and chat right outside your hiding place. He’d woken up the next morning with a dreadful cold and decided from then on to always bring something warm on his late night excursions. The flashlight is also a precautionary tool in case he ever has to take evasive manoeuvres through unexplored corridors to avoid getting caught.

 

Tony navigates the corridors of the building without incident. He even manages to leave through an open side door and sprint down the exposed path that leads to the building opposite without being spotted. The building is newer than the one Tony has just exited and is still fully illuminated inside. This is where those in their final year at the school sleep and so curfew is rarely enforced. Tony quickly stows his flashlight under his sweater and types in the code that will allow him access. He pushes open the door and jogs up the nearest flight of stairs to the floor above. The door halfway down the corridor is his destination. Tony knocks and waits patiently for a reply.

 

“Come in,” calls a bored voice.

 

Smiling, Tony pushes open the door and enters the small bedroom. His eyes quickly sweep over the desk with its neat piles of papers and books before moving to the bed. There sits Loki Stark, Tony’s big brother, still dressed in his school uniform. Loki looks up as Tony approaches and smiles. He closes the book in his hands and sets it aside before motioning for Tony to come closer. Tony immediately accepts the invitation and dives onto the bed and his brother’s legs.

 

“Tony,” Loki reprimands in a weary yet amused way that makes the eleven year old laugh.

 

“Yes?” he asks with a grin that has too many teeth to be innocent.

 

“I’ve told you not to do that,” Loki chides with a barely suppressed smile. 

 

“You also told me not to climb that old oak tree but I did it anyway.”

 

Loki rolls his eyes before flicking Tony’s forehead. “You’re a pain.”

 

Tony sticks out his tongue before kicking off his boots and crawling to sit beside his brother. Loki makes room for him and puts his arm around Tony as the younger brother curls into his side. He smiles fondly as he strokes Tony’s hair, earning him a sigh of contentment and a peaceful smile.

 

Tony knows that the relationship he has with his brother is unusual. Most fourteen year olds hate their younger brothers, but Loki adores Tony and has always been physically affectionate towards him. When Loki had still been in the dormitories they’d received more than one astounded and suspicious look when Tony had snuck in so that he could curl up in bed with his brother. None of the boys had ever said anything of course but that was mostly because they were all too scared of Loki. Tony’s brother had a wickedly sharp tongue and, although he might not look it, he was incredibly strong. Even when they were younger and the bullies had been twice Loki’s height and bulk they’d never stood a chance against the green eyed boy. The bullies had learned quickly not to mess with Loki Stark or his little brother.

 

“I missed you at dinner,” Loki comments as he continues to drag his fingers through Tony’s dark locks.

 

Tony pouts as he replies, “I ate early. I didn’t want to have to watch _that girl_ drape herself all over you again.”

 

Loki throws back his head and laughs. Tony doesn’t because he’s sick to death of Loki’s fanclub. Loki is two grades ahead of his peers and to girls this means that he is _mature_. Over the past few months they’ve had a tendency to swarm Loki, or stalk him through the school grounds, or simply giggle whenever he walks past. Loki finds it hilarious and Tony’s displeasure only seems to amuse him further. Although Tony is three grades ahead of his peers he still believes that girls are silly and the ones that fawn over his brother have done nothing to improve his opinion. One girl in particular is far too hands-on for Tony’s liking. She has a particular fondness of sitting next to Loki at meals and interrupting his conversations with Tony. She has also somehow managed to convince Loki to tutor her in Maths, stealing away precious time that Loki should have been spending teaching Tony.

 

“Don’t you like Bella Tony? I know she likes you,” Loki teases. When Tony makes a face Loki chuckles. “Are you jealous? Is that what the problem is?” 

 

“No,” Tony denies. “You’re just too good for her.”

 

“Now Tony, that is not a very nice thing to say about a young lady whose father has his own private police force,” Loki says in a tone that implies he actually agrees wholeheartedly with Tony’s assessment.

 

Tony tries to suppress a smile. “If you don’t like her then why are you spending so much time with her?”

 

Loki sighs. “Because our father wants me to.”

 

Tony frowns as what feels like rage curls in his stomach. “Why?”

 

“Politics,” Loki practically spits. He then takes a deep breath and continues, “The short answer to your question is that I promised Father I would try to make more friends and give you space to try and make some too.”

 

“But I already have friends.”

 

Loki’s lips purse at that. Tony understands his disdain. Like his brother before him, Tony sleeps in a dormitory with boys his own age in order to give him a greater opportunity to make friends. He’s tried to do so, to make friends with the children in his classes and in his dorm, but none of them can compete with Tony’s intellect. He knows he scares a lot of people with his intelligence and pisses off just as many with his obnoxious attitude and the same scathing wit as his brother, but those traits are part of who he is and he feels no desire to change to suit other people. This has meant that he has alienated most of the people he knows. The ones who hang around him, who call themselves his friends, only do so because they see it as being to their advantage. It never hurts to know a Stark or sit next to a genius you can copy off. Tony is well aware that his friends aren’t real friends, that he can trust them as far as he can throw them, but at least they’re willing to talk to him. Tony knows that his only real friend in this world is Loki.

 

His brother is the only one who understands him and actually enjoys his company. Even his mother, who Tony loves with all his heart, is often unable to keep up with her genius son and holds him at arm’s length. With his father, he’s lucky if he gets that close. But Loki – Loki has never pushed him away. He has always been the one who can make Tony feel safe. Even when their father tries to play them off against each other, when he recounts Loki’s amazing achievements and asks why Tony can’t be like his brother, Tony never gets jealous. Well, okay, maybe he does get a little jealous; but he has never begrudged Loki his success. This is in part because his brother is too clever for their father’s games and has always told Tony that Howard plays the same games with him. Howards asks him why he isn’t three grades ahead like Tony, why he spends so much time reading novels when he should be focused on manly subjects like maths and science, why he isn’t more interested in traditional American pastimes like baseball. Loki then always winks at Tony and explains that is why he joined the baseball team and made sure to read science journals whenever their father was around, and says that Tony should expect to soon be asked why he isn’t reading more journals and winning sports trophies.

 

Tony thinks this is perhaps why their father doesn’t much like Loki. Whereas Howard Stark is simply cold and distant with Tony there is actual animosity towards Loki. The feeling is clearly mutual by the way Loki seems to always have to physically restrain himself from sneering whenever their father is mentioned. Tony has asked why this is but it is one topic Loki won’t discuss with him. At times like these, when he hears that their father wants them to spend time apart even though he knows full well how much they depend on each other, Tony thinks he doesn’t need an explanation.

 

“I know you already have friends but that doesn’t mean you can’t make more.”

 

“So I can feel just as alone in a bigger crowd of people?”

 

Tony doesn’t mean to sound so bitter and almost regrets his careless words when his brother suddenly freezes. Then Loki exhales and drags him into a fierce hug. Tony hugs back, his eyes squeezed shut as he thanks God for giving him a big brother who understands.

 

“I know it’s not fair,” Loki says quietly, “but life isn’t fair. Tony, the older we get the further we have to grow apart. I graduate next year and I’ll only be able to see you during the vacation. I need to know that you’ll have at least one person here you can depend on when I leave. That’s why we can’t spend all our free time together. You need to make new friends. I need you to promise me that you’ll at least try. For me.”

 

“Okay,” Tony whispers, his eyes burning as he fights back tears. He’d do anything for his brother, even this, because Tony idolises Loki and loves him so fiercely that sometimes it hurts when they’re separated for too long. “We’ll still get to spend time together though right?”

 

“Of course,” Loki says, pulling back so that he can smile at Tony. “Even if we spend all day with other people we’ll still have these little evening sessions to ourselves. I wouldn’t sacrifice those for the world.”

 

Tony smiles and nods, glad that he isn’t going to be thrown to the wolves entirely.

 

“Which reminds me,” Loki says as he glances at his watch, “if we want to have our lesson we better begin promptly. I don’t want you falling asleep in class tomorrow because you stayed up too late.”

 

Tony rolls his eyes (because they both know he’s a bit of an insomniac and that Loki is one too) and crawls round so that he is sat cross-legged opposite his brother on the bed. Loki also crosses his legs and holds a hand out between them. Tony stares at it eagerly, wondering what Loki is going to show him this time. He’s not sure where his brother learnt to do these things as it definitely wasn’t from their parents or school – all he knows is that this is their secret, which is fine with him because Tony has no intention of sharing this most awesome aspect of his brother with anyone.

 

“Today’s lesson,” Loki says slowly, a sly grin slowly growing across his lips, “is how to make fire.”

 

Tony’s jaw drops as green flames erupt in the palm of Loki’s hand. “Wow,” he breathes.

 

Loki smiles. 


	2. Howard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Howard knows there is something different about his eldest son.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continued due to the overwhelming demand for more. Thank you everyone for your incredible comments.

“Loki!” Howard roars as he stumbles out of his basement workshop chased by a plume of dark smoke. “Loki!”

 

“What’s wrong Dear? Why are you shouting?” Maria asks as she meets him at the top of the stairs.

 

“That boy has been tampering with my equipment again!” Howard bellows as he pushes past his wife in search of his eldest son. “Loki!”

 

“Howard don’t you think you’re over-reacting?” Maria says reproachfully. “Even if Loki was in your workshop – which I doubt as you know he has little interest in mechanics – why would he tamper with your equipment?”

 

Howard does not say because Loki enjoys tormenting him as he knows this will only incense his wife. Instead he grumbles, “You’re too soft Maria; you always assume that boy is innocent.”

 

“And you always assume he’s guilty.”

 

“And I’m usually right.”

 

Maria glares at him disapprovingly and Howard knows he will pay for the comment later. “Your sons are playing in the garden. I expect you to at least ask for Loki’s alibi before you punish him.”

 

With that Maria turns on her heel and storms away. Howard huffs and goes in the opposite direction. He spots the boys as soon as he steps out into the garden. They’re basking in the heat of the summer sun, Loki’s head resting in Tony’s lap. They look as if they haven’t moved in hours but Howard is not fooled. He has shared a home with Loki for fourteen years and has learned well the lesson that appearances can be deceiving.

 

Howard strides across the lawn to tower over his sons, blocking out the sun to announce his presence. Loki pushes up his sunglasses and smiles innocently. “Yes Father?”

 

Howard glowers. “Which one of you has been playing with the equipment in my workshop?” he demands.

 

“Neither of us has been in your workshop; we’ve been out here all morning,” Loki replies with the same butter-wouldn’t-melt-in-his-mouth tone. “Ask Jarvis if you don’t believe me.”

 

“What about last night? Did you sneak in when I went to bed?” Howard continues to interrogate.

 

“And what time would that have been?” Loki sneers.

 

“I am your father – don’t you dare speak to me in that tone!” Howard rages.

 

Loki sits up and there is nothing but contempt in his gaze. He opens his mouth to speak but stops when Tony grabs hold of his wrist. Tony’s biting his lip and his posture is tense. Howard watches as Loki visibly pushes back whatever cruel words he was about to say. Instead he forces an apologetic, “I’m sorry Father; it won’t happen again.”

 

“It better not,” Howard growls. He looks between his sons and tries to decide what he should do. He’s certain Loki has something to do with the sudden failure of his equipment. The only problem is that he has no proof besides the feeling in his gut that there is something wrong about the boy, something insidious that cannot be trusted. Loki has always been too clever, too crafty, for a boy his age. He has also never sought affection from Howard, unlike Tony who has spent his formative years trying desperately to please him. The problem has always been that Howard has never been able to express his love for his youngest son. Not like Maria who dotes on him, or Jarvis who always knows the best advice to give, or Loki who often hugs Tony regardless of who is watching.

 

That, Howard thinks, is perhaps the main source of antagonism in the relationship between him and his eldest son. Howard hates that Loki finds it so easy to show affection for Tony, Loki hates Howard’s inability to express his love. Not only that, each time Howard disappoints Tony something always seems to go wrong. Equipment will fail, documents will go missing, laxatives will be mixed in with his coffee, his shirts will turn pink in the wash, his eyebrows will mysteriously disappear. Trivialities, really, but ones that will frustrate him and often ruin his day. The only proof he ever has that Loki is the cause of his misfortune is the look of loathing mixed with vindictive glee on the boy’s face whenever he sees how stressed Howard is by the day’s events. That is why over time Howard has become certain that Loki is to blame, but how do you punish someone without proof? He once tried blaming Tony in order to force Loki to admit his guilt. As expected Loki had stepped forward to save his brother from the punishment, but the look of murderous rage on his face had chilled Howard to the bone. The next day there had been a fire at Stark Industries. Howard had never used that tactic again.  

 

Memories of all the files and prototypes lost in the fire make Howard’s decision for him. Knowing that there is no way to punish Loki without incurring the boy’s (or Maria’s) wrath, Howard turns and walks away. He needs evidence and hard proof. He needs to examine his equipment and the cameras in his workshop. Maybe today is the day he finally discovers how Loki is able to cause such chaos without ever getting caught.


	3. Jarvis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is an attempted kidnapping.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I bumped up the rating for this chapter because there are guns and blood and other things possibly deserving a T rating.
> 
> Also, this chapter is from Jarvis' POV. I've not read the comics so his personality is more of my design than anything.

“Do you think Mother would like that one?” Tony asks, pointing to a necklace with a ruby pendent the diameter of a golf ball.

 

Loki examines the necklace with a look of distaste. “Too garish. Mother prefers something understated – subtle yet expensive.”

 

Tony nods and returns to browsing the counters of Tiffany’s. Jarvis stands a few feet away from the boys, holding their coats as they search for their mother’s Christmas present. He watches carefully as a fourteen year old Tony frowns at the pieces on display whilst a seventeen year old Loki engages the girl at the counter in a conversation about their latest acquisitions. It is not usually the butler’s duty to accompany the young maters on their shopping expeditions, but the night before the Stark’s driver had become bedridden with influenza and there had been no other available members of staff to escort the boys into the city. Jarvis thinks it rather inconsiderate of the man to fall ill at the time of the year when the butler is busiest, but he cannot be too annoyed by the unfortunate circumstances. He has missed the young masters whilst they have been away at school and university respectively, and it is truly a pleasure to be able to spend time with them outside of the mansion. Jarvis has always been fond of children, yet circumstances have meant that he was never able to sire his own. He would by no means be presumptuous enough to think of the Stark boys as his, of course, but he does consider himself their unofficial godfather. He has been a part of the young master’s lives from the very beginning and over the years he has done his best to offer them support and guidance whenever they have had need of it. For propriety’s sake Jarvis never dwells on the thought that he has done more to emotionally support the boys than their own father. 

 

“Tony, what do you think of this one?” Loki asks, indicating a white-gold bangle filled with stars of the same precious metal.

 

“It’s all one colour,” Tony replies, clearly unimpressed.

 

Loki rolls his eyes and turns to Jarvis. “May I enquire the opinion of one who does not have such juvenile tastes in jewellery?” 

 

Jarvis suppresses a smile as Tony presents his tongue to his brother’s back. “It is a most elegant piece Sir; I’m sure Mrs Stark will love it.”

 

Loki smiles and returns his attention to the girl at the counter. “We’ll take it – gift-wrapped, please.”

 

Loki pays for his purchase and Jarvis returns the young masters’ coats. Once they are wrapped up warmly against the biting December wind they exit the store and Jarvis leads the way to the parking garage while the brothers bicker good-naturedly behind him about jewellery. Jarvis checks his watch as he walks, already calculating the fastest route back to the Stark’s home. It is for this reason that he does not notice they are being watched until it is too late.

 

They are halfway to the car when the hairs on the back of Jarvis’ neck stand on end and his old military training informs him that there are hostiles nearby. He stops walking abruptly and holds out a hand to halt the boys.

 

“Jarvis? What-”

 

From the corner of his eye Jarvis sees that Loki has pressed a finger to his brother’s lips. Tony’s brow briefly creases with annoyance before being replaced by a look of realisation. He instantly presses closer to his brother and Jarvis as his abduction training kicks in.

 

Apparently sensing that they have been noticed, the six masked figures move from their hiding places to surround them. The way they walk tells Jarvis that the men also have military training and that they are not afraid to use their AK-47s. The butler silently curses and attempts to calculate the probability that he will be able to disable all six assailants when armed only with a Glock. The results of his calculation are not reassuring.

 

“On your knees old man,” orders one of the assailants to Jarvis’ left. “Make any sudden movements and you’ll have more holes in you than Swiss cheese.”

 

Jarvis does as instructed, his palm itching for his gun. He shoots a look at the boys and is proud to see that neither of them is panicking. Tony is pressed against his brother’s side, his mouth set in a stubborn line even if his eyes are wider than normal. Loki has one arm around his brother’s shoulders and his eyes are ice.

 

“Now kiss the ground,” demands the same assailant as before.  

 

Jarvis lays himself on the cold ground, his palms spread and flat beside his head. He takes deep, even breaths, waiting for the men to make their next move.

 

“Alright kiddies, here’s the deal. Come quietly and the old man lives. If you scream or make a fuss, he dies.”

 

There’s a beat of silence before Loki says conversationally, “I take it this is a kidnapping? You intend to use us to extort a ransom from our father?”

 

“That’s the general idea, yeah.”

 

“Then I offer myself up as a willing hostage if you let Jarvis and my brother walk away unharmed.”

 

“That’s very nice of you Kid, but two hostages are better than one. Both you and your brother are coming with us, so you better start walking towards that truck over there or we’re going to have to start firing motivational shots.”

 

“I’m sorry you feel that way. I might have been inclined to mercy if you had been willing to let them go.”

 

Jarvis has barely a second to wonder what Loki is playing at, taunting men with assault rifles, before all hell breaks loose. The roar of AKs and the shouts of their assailants cause Jarvis to shift onto one knee and draw his gun. He puts two rounds in the nearest gunman’s chest before taking aim at the next and repeating. He turns to the third to see the man already has his weapon trained on him. Jarvis braces himself for the spew of bullets, but instead of piercing his flesh they appear to hit an invisible barrier inches away from Jarvis’s body. The butler stares at the ripples the bullets make in the air before they fall harmlessly to the floor. He searches for the source of the barrier and his gaze lands on Tony. The teenager stands by Jarvis’ shoulder, his palms raised and facing the firing gunman. There is a look of intense concentration on his face and his arms tremble from the strain of doing whatever it is he is doing. The butler returns his gaze to the barrier, unsure what to make of it. The gunman stops firing, likely equally astounded by his lack of success in hitting his target. Then a streak of silver collides with his neck and he collapses onto his weapon and the concrete floor.

 

In the silence that follows, Jarvis turns towards the origin of the projectile. His eyes land on Loki, who is hovering over the motionless body of one of the gunmen. Jarvis notices the gaping wound in the man’s throat and the blood staining Loki’s coat. From the way Loki holds himself Jarvis doubts any of the blood is his.

 

“Are you injured?” Loki asks calmly.

 

The butler looks past the young master to the unmoving forms of the other assailants. One of them has the hilt of a silver throwing knife protruding from his eye whilst the other is face down in his own blood. Jarvis does not understand how that is possible; it’s true Loki is a master of martial arts and has received advanced training for if he is ever in a hostage situation, but this goes beyond that. It’s not just the efficiency of his technique – it’s the steadiness with which he is watching Jarvis. There’s no remorse, no panic, no hint of horror at what he’s done. It’s as if Loki has killed before. More precisely: he’s killed enough people that the unnaturalness of the act no longer bothers him. That realisation fills Jarvis with something akin to dread and sorrow.

 

“I’m fine Sir,” Jarvis answers.

 

“Tony?”

 

Jarvis turns towards the youngest brother. The teenager’s hands are once again by his sides. Tony is pale and breathing heavily but he forces a smile for Loki. “Nothing hot chocolate with marshmallows and whipped cream won’t fix.”

 

A look of relief washes across Loki’s features. He laughs and walks over to Jarvis, offering the butler his hand. Jarvis warily accepts the help in returning to his feet, his gaze carefully appraising Loki. “I think perhaps we should discuss what just happened before the authorities arrive, Sir.”

 

The eldest Stark boy gives him a measuring look. “They ordered you to get down on the ground. Two men watched you whilst the others herded Tony and I towards their vehicle. I volunteered to be their willing hostage if they let Tony go. One of them replied that they needed a spare in case Howard didn’t pay and they were forced to send a message. Another said that they’d been told nobody would get hurt. A third concurred that they did not kill children. There was an argument. They decided not to use their guns as they were in close-quarters. They killed each other. I managed to take the knife from one of them and use it to escape the man holding me. Hearing the commotion you rolled into action and took out the men watching you before they could join the skirmish. It was a miracle none of us were hurt.”

 

“And what actually happened, Master Stark?”

 

Loki smiles charmingly. “Are you certain you wish to know Jarvis? Would you not prefer the easy lie to the hard truth?”

 

Jarvis is considering how best to answer that question when Tony murmurs, “He won’t tell you Jarvis. If he won’t tell me where he learnt those things then he won’t tell you.”

 

Loki frowns and kneels beside his brother. “Tony?” he questions, concern clear in his tone.

 

Tony bites his lower lip before asking, “Did you have to kill them?”

 

“Dead men tell no tales, and you know our father would have been very interested in the tales they would have told.”

 

Tony looks away from Loki, Jarvis, and the fallen gunmen. “I’ve never seen someone die before. There’s a lot more blood than in the movies.”

 

Loki takes Tony’s hands and squeezes them reassuringly. Tony squeezes back and Loki smiles in a way that makes him look infinitely older than he is.

 

“I remember the first time I saw a man die,” Jarvis says sombrely. “During the war a basic training exercise went horribly wrong. There was lots of blood and I’m not ashamed to say that the sight made me sick. Men with far more years under their belts have acted with far less grace and courage in the face of death than you have today Master Stark. Nobody present will think any less of you if these events have affected you in any way.”

 

Tony doesn’t cry. He throws his arms around his brother and hugs him fiercely, but he doesn’t cry. Loki sends Jarvis a look of thanks as he firmly embraces his younger brother. Jarvis watches the two of them, watches the way they protect and support each other, and wonders if he honestly needs to know the truth of what just happened. Loki has long since been wise beyond his years and is more than capable of making his own decisions about who he trusts with his secrets. To Jarvis, Tony is still a child and not ready to receive the same courtesy. He suspects, however, that Tony’s secret is also Loki’s secret, and to learn one is to inadvertently learn the other. Seeing as he has already decided that Loki is entitled to his privacy he cannot reasonably demand that one brother spill the secrets of the other. Yet Tony is not Loki’s responsibility – if this is something which might affect the boy’s health then his parents should be notified. On the other hand, it is Loki who does more to care for his brother than his parents, full of good intentions as the Starks are. If Tony was in danger Loki would have told somebody, would have found a way to remove his brother from harm’s way – if Tony didn’t discover a way to save himself first. They are both bright, brilliant boys and Jarvis feels he should trust their judgement and respect their secrets, at least for now. He very much intends to monitor the situation in case he needs to alter his verdict.  

 

“Very well Master Loki,” Jarvis concedes. “I am not your father and so have no right to demand that you share your secrets with me. I will repeat your version of events when questioned; but I hope you are aware that if you ever need to discuss what has happened here today I will be more than willing to listen without passing judgement. The same goes for you as well Master Tony.”

 

“Thank you Jarvis,” Tony says softly.

 

“Yes, thank you,” Loki concurs with a small, grateful smile. He slowly extracts himself from Tony’s arms and adds conversationally, “As the authorities have yet to arrive it might be prudent to assume that they have not been alerted to the situation. You should probably resolve that matter, Jarvis, and if at all possible erase our involvement from the incident. It would ruin everyone’s Christmas if we had to spend hours in the police station being questioned about what could easily have been a drug deal gone wrong. Tony and I will wait in the car.”

 

Jarvis nods and hands Loki the car keys. He then leaves in search of the security desk, contemplating as he walks the best way to spin how he stumbled upon the gruesome scene. He is very proud of the fact that not once does his mind wander into the consideration of how the brothers will have altered the crime scene by the time he returns.


	4. Loki

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the Stark boys become orphans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few months ago I found a graphic novel linked to the films that had Howard and young Tony and human Jarvis. Unfortunately when I went back to the shop I couldn't find the book again. Until now! I've ordered it and am waiting impatiently for it to turn up. I'm thinking it might give me some inspiration for another young Tony story. If I do write one it'll be seperate like Rules of Magic to prevent confusion as this story is leaving childhood and heading into Tony's adult years.

Standing before the entrance to Tony’s dorm room, Loki hesitates. It’s not that he feels guilty about what he’s done. He’s let history run its course as he knows he must. If he alters too much he risks everything (space, time, reality) collapsing. There are certain events that he’s not willing to change, that he feels must remain undisturbed for the sake of balance. So no, he does not hesitate because he feels guilty for not raising a hand to save them. Loki hesitates because over the years Tony’s pain has become his pain and he knows that the news he brings will hurt his brother more than anything he has yet encountered.

 

Suddenly, the door opens. Tony stops in his tracks and stares wide-eyed at Loki. The older brother is not surprised; Loki rarely makes unscheduled visits to MIT so naturally Tony is thrown by his unexpected appearance. Anxiety flashes across the younger brother’s face as he reads Loki’s stiff posture and unsmiling face. “Loki, what are you doing here? Has something happened?”

 

Loki nods and gestures towards Tony’s room. The younger brother steps back to allow Loki access then closes the door. Loki knocks aside the technical drawings strewn over Tony’s unmade bed and indicates that Tony should sit beside him.

 

“It’s bad isn’t it?” Tony says as he sits, his gaze focused intently on Loki’s solemn expression.

 

Loki sighs, his fingers drumming restlessly against his thigh. Two weeks ago Tony had returned to the family home to celebrate Loki’s twenty-first birthday. It had been tense at first, as things always were whenever Howard was forced to interact with his sons, but after the formal celebrations in which Loki had been obligated to entertain his contacts (Howard’s friends and allies in industry and government, the board members of Stark Industries, Loki’s new colleagues at the company, Maria’s friends whose husbands had deep pockets they grudgingly allowed their wives free access to) Loki had hosted a much smaller party. Tony, Maria, Jarvis the butler, and a few others whose company Loki enjoyed more than simply tolerated had given Loki a truly marvellous birthday experience. Then, when Maria had gone to bed and they’d said goodnight to their other guests, Tony and Loki had climbed to the roof and Tony had given his big brother his real birthday present. A dagger, clearly ornamental, with runes carved into the blade and hilt. There was power in it and spells for both protection and luck. Loki had instantly recognised his brother’s craftsmanship in the design of the metal and the replication of the spells he’d learnt from Loki. Although he’d loved the scarf and gloves Tony had presented him with in front of their parents this was by far Loki’s favourite gift. Still, he’d teased Tony that his spellwork was sloppy and made his brother pout until Loki eventually admitted how much he appreciated the gift. They’d spent the rest of the night secretly drinking and doing very accurate impressions of Howard’s friends.

 

Tony had returned to MIT happy after eliciting a promise from Loki that he would visit in a month to see Tony’s newest invention. He hadn’t noticed the sadness behind Loki’s smile, or perhaps he had and misinterpreted it as stemming from his departure. Loki had known then that they would see each other again much sooner than anticipated under circumstances that neither of them desired. Loki had never had any love for Howard but he’d been fond of Maria. She’d had a big heart and wanted to help as many people as possible. Sometimes that meant she had forgotten her sons, but she’d never done it on purpose. She’d always tried to be there for them when it counted most and had always argued with Howard whenever he attempted to separate Loki and Tony. Loki had appreciated that more than he had ever vocalised. As for Jarvis...Loki could understand why in the future Tony would name his A.I. after the butler who was a fountain of kind, wise words and whom had always ensured that his young masters were properly washed and fed.

 

Loki closes his eyes and brings himself back to the present. Unable to delay delivering the bad news any longer he says, “Yes Tony, it’s bad. At 2am this morning both our parents were killed in a car crash returning home from a charity event. Jarvis was driving the car and also expired before the emergency services could reach him.”

 

For a moment Tony does nothing but stare at Loki. Then he laughs. “Good one Loki, you really had me going there for a minute.”

 

Something tightens in Loki’s chest as he replies, “It’s not a joke Tony; they’re really dead. I’m so sorry.”

 

“No,” Tony says firmly. “They’re not dead. This is just your worst practical joke ever.”

 

“You’re in denial,” Loki states calmly, squashing down his emotions as he predicts what will come next.

 

“I’m not!” Tony yells as he jumps to his feet.

 

“Yes, you are.”

 

“Shut up! Just...shut up and stop lying to me. Don’t lie to me Loki! Tell me that they’re alive! Tell me that you’re lying and they’re alive!” Tears form in Tony’s eyes as he whispers, “Please. Please be lying.”

 

Loki stands and drags Tony into a hug. The seventeen year old weakly tries to fend him off but Loki ensures that Tony will not escape his hold. Eventually Tony stops fighting and buries his face in Loki’s shoulder as he silently sobs. Loki rubs soothing circles into his brother’s back and contemplates his own reaction to the news. He’d gone very quiet and told Obadiah he’d meet him at the hospital to identify the bodies. He’d then carried out all the jobs that needed to be done, such as pulling strings to ensure the press would wait until he’d told Tony before breaking the story and readying the paperwork that would make Obadiah temporary CEO of Stark Industries. Then he’d gone to the hospital, made the identification, and handed over the paperwork to Stane. He’d accepted the man’s reassuring squeeze of his shoulder because that was what a grieving son was supposed to do. Finally, he’d left to do his duty and inform Tony of the tragedy.

 

Loki supposes he is lucky that the Starks are not known as an emotional family. He will not be expected to cry in public or endlessly lament the loss of his family. He will be expected to be strong, to be a man and step into Howard’s shoes. Only in private will people watch him for signs that he is grieving. Loki thinks that he can make them believe that he is – he’s a good liar and he’s faked emotion before. In the case of Maria and Jarvis, however, he does not believe that he will need to fake how unexpectedly sorry he is to have lost them.

 

Eventually Tony goes lax against Loki’s chest. “They’re really dead?” he asks, his voice quiet and raw from his weeping.

 

“I’m afraid so.”

 

Tony swallows hard. “Are you here to bring me home?”

 

“We don’t have to leave just yet. We can watch a movie; give you some time to compose yourself. However, it would be best if we left before evening so that we are not here when the vultures descend on your dorm room with cameras and microphones.”

 

Tony nods but does not move. Minutes later he says, “I don’t own any appropriately depressing movies.”

 

“I’ll go rent one,” Loki offers. “Pack a bag and clean this place up. I won’t be long.”

 

“Okay,” Tony says and slowly, reluctantly, disentangles himself from Loki’s arms.

 

Clasping the side of Tony’s neck in an affectionate gesture reminiscent of what Thor did to him back when they were still brothers, Loki offers the teenager a smile. “Everything’s going to be alright,” he promises.

 

His brother returns the smile half-heartedly and begins to clean. Loki watches him for a second before turning to leave. Just as he is about to open the door he hears, “Thank you. For telling me in person. I’m sure a phone call would have been more convenient.”

 

Loki doesn’t look back because he doesn’t want Tony to see his flinch. In another time in which Tony Stark is an only child he receives a call from the police informing him his family is dead. He makes his way home alone, the press hounding him for a comment, and is forced to find comfort in the embrace of a man who would one day order his death. It makes Loki think that even if he couldn’t save Tony’s parents then at least he has saved him from the insult that was added to the injury. At least this time he won’t be alone.

 

“I’m your brother. It doesn’t matter if that would have been more convenient – I would never do that to you.”

 

Before Tony can respond Loki exits the room and heads to the nearest Blockbusters. There’s an ache in his chest that can only be cured by watching the misery of others and perhaps by an unforeseen happy ending.  


	5. Rhodey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rhodey and the brothers visit a bar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Grr, Rhodey why are you so hard to write? Still not entirely happy with the chapter, but I think that's mostly because I struggled to get into Rhodey's head. Also to not make my characters misogynistic, just irresponsible and irreverent. 
> 
> Note: I know Rhodey is a colonel in the films, but I don't think he'd start his career with that high a rank. I also couldn't find a source that stated where he met Tony so I made up my own version.

“You should go for it man. She’s been checking you out all night; you should definitely strut your stuff over there and talk to her.”

 

Rhodey eyes a nineteen year old Tony Stark sceptically. “How do you know she’s been checking me out all night?”

 

“Because I’ve been checking out her friend, who depressingly seems more interested in my brother than me.”

 

Loki smiles as he sips his drink. “She can sense that you’re underage. Perhaps if you grew a beard the ladies might be more inclined to believe you capable of buying their drinks for them?”

 

Tony glares and gives his brother the finger. Loki laughs and Rhodey tries his best not to do the same. Tony gives a small huff of annoyance, but a moment later he too is smiling and once again trying to convince Rhodey to hit on the girl smiling at him from the other side of the bar. Loki rolls his eyes and goes to buy them another round of drinks.

 

Rhodey watches Loki walk away and marvels at how different he is to Rhodey’s older brother. Rhodey’s brother never took him out drinking when he was underage, or introduced him to his friends. Loki, however, seems eager that Tony and Rhodey become friends. The lieutenant thinks this might be because Loki plans to make Tony head of the R&D department as soon as he turns 21, in which case the two of them will be working closely together, and thus it would be beneficial to everyone that they have a good relationship. Still, that doesn’t explain why the three of them are out drinking together in a bar in Texas after flying from California to watch the Dallas Cowboys storm their way to victory. It would have been far easier for the CEO to introduce the two of them over a business lunch or at the annual Stark charity ball – there was no need for Loki to organise this trip. Yet he had, which somewhat baffles Rhodey. Not that he’s complaining; Rhodey is a big football fan and would never say no to seeing a free game, or to having his drinks paid for by Stark Industries, or to spending some time away from middle-aged men telling him how important his new job is. Which brings Rhodey back to the reason he is spending time with the brothers in the first place: his job as the new liaison between Stark Industries and the military in the Department of Acquisitions.

 

After Howard Stark’s death there had been some controversy over who should fill his shoes as CEO of Stark Industries. Howard’s partner, Obadiah Stane, had eventually decided to bow out gracefully and allow the eldest Stark brother to take the reins of the company. From the very beginning of his reign, Loki had made it crystal clear that he and his father did not share the same views on how things should be done. As the old military liaison had been a good friend of Howard’s, the top brass had decided it might be prudent to replace him with someone younger to avoid future complications. Rhodey was the same age as the new CEO and an ideal candidate for a number of other political reasons, and had been immediately shortlisted. A handful of his superiors had thought him too young for the job, but when Loki had specifically enquired about him the old men had decided to take a chance on their youngest candidate. If it hadn’t been for Loki, Rhodey knows he would never have gotten this opportunity to prove himself. For that Loki has his gratitude, and his friendship.

 

The CEO returns with their drinks and says to Rhodey, “We won’t be offended if you leave us lieutenant. After a few more beers Tony will be begging me to act as his wingman so that he may entice whichever young lady captures his fancy back to his room, and my soft heart will not be able to resist such a desperate plea.”

 

“Fuck off Loki – I got plenty of tail in college. All the girls knew who I was and wanted to sleep with me. If you’d taken us somewhere where I’m better known or old enough to buy my own drinks I wouldn’t need a wingman.”

 

“Youth today – so ungrateful,” Loki grumbles to Rhodey, the mischievous glint in his eyes telling the lieutenant that he doesn’t mean a word of it. 

 

“Are you trying to tell me that you _didn’t_ spend more time in college convincing girls to have sex with you than studying?” Rhodey asks, raising a sceptical eyebrow.

 

“They didn’t need that much convincing.”

 

Tony laughs and Rhodey rolls his eyes, fighting a smile. “Shouldn’t you be teaching your brother to respect women?”

 

“I respect women,” Tony objects. “I don’t sleep with drunk girls unless I’m too drunk to know better; if a chick says no then I move on to the next one; and I never let them think it’s going to be anything more than a one-night deal. What more do you want from a nineteen year old?”

 

“You’re not interested in having a girlfriend then?”

 

The humour leaves Tony’s face and Loki frowns. “I had a girlfriend once. It didn’t end well.”

 

“The thing you must understand lieutenant,” Loki says after an awkward pause, “is that Tony and I come from money. Even if we achieve nothing in our lives we can always fall back on our father’s fortune. Due to the circles we moved in as children this was rarely a problem – our peers were set to inherent their own riches. Once we left childhood, however, we encountered those who were less economically situated. Again, for the most part this was unproblematic; the young ladies at MIT had their own drive to succeed and the size of a man’s wallet was not the first thing they inspected when choosing a partner. Upon leaving campus it was a different story.”

 

“Long story short,” Tony interrupts, “I dated a girl who only wanted me for my money and she broke my heart. Now I prefer one night stands; feelings just get in the way of sex.”  

 

“Wow,” Rhodey mumbles. “Only nineteen and already jaded.”

 

Tony raises his beer in salute before taking a long drag of the amber liquid. “My brother has been burned too. He’s better at spotting the deception than I am, though, so he can get the hell out of there before it gets too messy.”

 

“Also, unlike you, I don’t take it personally,” Loki adds with the tiniest trace of concern.

 

Tony shrugs. He gulps down the rest of the beer and slams the bottle onto the table. “This conversation is getting depressing; I’m going to go flirt with girls.” He stands and salutes Rhodey. “I promise to flirt respectfully, lieutenant,” he says with a cheeky grin before heading to the other side of the bar.

 

Rhodey watches him go before turning to Loki. “Sorry if I brought up something I shouldn’t; I thought it was an innocent enough question.”

 

“You were not to know lieutenant; please do not lose any sleep over it.” There is a long pause as Loki observes his brother interacting with the girl who had caught his attention earlier. “Perhaps now you understand why I expressed an interest in having you promoted to Stark Industries’ military liaison.”   

 

Rhodey stares at him blankly for a minute before admitting, “Some of us don’t have a genius level IQ; you’re going to have to explain that one to me.”

 

A wry smile crosses Loki’s lips. “I am good at reading people lieutenant, and I can tell that you are a good man. In my line of business I need to associate with at least a few good men in order to keep me grounded. Tony is the same; he needs a friend who is genuinely concerned about his interests and not solely in how he can help them. I believe in time you might become such a friend.”

 

Rhodey is flattered by the compliment, but also slightly daunted by what Loki is asking of him. It’s not that he thinks he could never befriend Tony (he’s a fun guy and a nice kid, if a little immature – but who isn’t at 19?), it’s the responsibility and the pressure of living up to the high standards the CEO has set for him that has him worried. He doesn’t want to disappoint Loki, and not just because doing so would be bad for his career. He genuinely likes the guy and wants to help him with his brother. He wants to be the friend that reminds Loki that his company does more than sell weapons for money; he wants to be the friend who picks Tony up after he gets his heart broken. He’s honoured that Loki wants him to be that person, that Tony also seems to be on board with the idea, and he wants to live up to their expectations. He’s just really hoping he doesn’t mess up and let them down.  

 

“I’m not dating your brother for you.”

 

His words prompt a surprised laugh from Loki. “Of course not lieutenant; I respect you far too much to ask you to do such a thing. No, your friendship is more than adequate in this situation.”

 

“Good, because I definitely don’t swing that way.”

 

“Neither does my brother.” A thoughtful look crosses Loki’s face as he considers Rhodey. “However, if you add a little eye shadow and a nice dress, I’m sure Tony could be convinced to try such persuasions.”

 

Rhodey shivers. “You’re kind of twisted, do you know that?”

 

“Others have passed such a comment to me before, yes.” Loki chuckles, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. “You will need a thick skin when dealing with me lieutenant; I hope you can handle it.”

 

“I have an older brother, my skin is pretty thick.”

 

“Good, I’d hate to have to replace you so soon into our acquaintance.” The CEO’s eyes flicker back towards his brother and a wolfish smile consumes his lips. “It seems Tony has made some progress with the young lady. If you are interested you should make your move on her companion now, lieutenant, before Tony attempts to bring them both to his room.”

 

“What about you?” Rhodey asks curiously.

 

“I am going back to the hotel. I made plans earlier to meet a friend there.” Loki’s grin informs Rhodey exactly what sort of friend the CEO is meeting. The eldest Stark brother rises to his feet and presses his credit card into Rhodey’s hand. “Watch my brother for me,” he murmurs before heading for the exit.

 

Rhodey watches him walk away, shaking his head in disbelief. They weren’t kidding when they said these genius types were eccentric.  


	6. Tony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Tony is a grown up and doesn't need a babysitter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year everyone!

“What the hell Loki?!” Tony says as he storms into his brother’s office.

 

Loki looks up from the paperwork he is hunched over and indicates that Tony should sit in the chair in front of his desk. Tony ignores the invitation, choosing instead to slam his palms onto Loki’s desk and lean forward so that he is right in Loki’s face. His brother’s reply is to put down his pen and lean back in his seat, his eyes all the while locked with Tony’s. “Is there a problem Mr Stark?”

 

“Don’t ‘Mr Stark’ me asshole,” Tony snarls. “You can’t treat me like a kid behind my back and an adult to my face. I’m not one of your spineless worker drones; I’m not going to take this bullshit lying down!”

 

“I’m afraid you’ll have to be a little more specific about what bullshit you are referencing.”

 

“I’m talking about the babysitter you’ve hired to watch over me because you don’t think I’m responsible enough to look after myself.”

 

“Ah,” Loki replies, still infuriatingly calm. “Mr Stark, Miss Potts is your new personal assistant. Nowhere in her contract does it refer to her being your babysitter; she was quite insistent about that when I had the attorneys draw it up last week.”

 

“Just because you haven’t put it in writing doesn’t mean you didn’t hire her to spy on me.”

 

“Tony,” Loki sighs, exasperated. “I did not ask her to spy on you. All heads of department are entitled to a personal assistant-”

 

“Yeah – entitled, not required, so how come you’re hiring someone behind my back?”

 

“Because your organisational skills are appalling. I’ve had numerous complaints from other departments that the setting up a meeting with you is the equivalent to pulling teeth, and that more often than not you are either late to said meeting or miss it entirely because you have become engrossed in your work and lost track of time. You need someone to manage your schedule and remind you of your obligations.”

 

“Still sounds to me like you’ve hired a babysitter,” Tony says darkly as he steps back and crosses his arms across his chest.

 

“This isn’t an indictment of you or your skills Tony,” Loki growls.

 

“No?” Tony sneers.

 

“No,” Loki states firmly. “Nobody doubts your ability to fulfil your role as head of Research and Development. Lieutenant Rhodes has brought me nothing but praise from the military in regards to the weapons you have already designed for them. This is why I want you to spend more time in your workshop and less time doing paperwork, especially when your heart isn’t in the latter.”

 

“Nobody likes paperwork but it’s part of the job description isn’t it?”

 

“Have you even bothered to meet your assistant?” Loki snaps, clearly losing patience. “Miss Potts is an extremely intelligent woman who spotted an accounting error that even I missed, and was brave enough to speak up about it. If you actually spent some time with her I know that you would not be so resistant to the idea.”

 

“Just because she’s attractive doesn’t mean I want her.”

 

“If it makes you feel any better she doesn’t want you either; she’s doing this because she’s bored of her old job and I promised her a better position in a few years if she is able to tolerate your temper tantrums for that long.”

 

“I don’t throw temper tantrums!”

 

“Then what is this?”

 

“This is fully justified fury at being treated like a child!”

 

“That’s not what it appears to be from this side of the desk.” Loki is on his feet now and meeting Tony’s glare head-on with one of his own. Eventually, the CEO sighs and sinks back into his chair. “Tony, Miss Potts is there to assist you. You are the one to set the parameters of what you wish her to do. Accepting that there are jobs best left to others is not admitting defeat or weakness. Delegation is an essential skill as head of department, and one you must learn. I’m not above showing tough love and demoting you if you fail to meet my expectations.”

 

“Is that the truth?” Tony asks, still suspicious.

 

“Yes. Now please, give Miss Potts a chance. I’m sure once you have been working together for a few months you will wonder how you ever coped without her.”

 

Tony considers this for a minute before eventually nodding. “Fine, I’ll give her a chance. But you have to promise you’re not using her to spy on me.”

 

“I promise Tony. She is not there to babysit you, only to support you.”

 

“Okay,” Tony sighs. “Sorry for freaking out on you. It’s been a rough week, and all the gossiping that I got the job through nepotism is really getting to me.”

 

“I understand, Tony. I know what it is like trying to step out from the cover of a very large shadow.”

 

“Yeah, I suppose you do,” Tony laughs without conviction. “Dad’s shoes are pretty big ones to fill huh?” Loki smiles, but Tony can tell that it is forced and decides to drop the subject. “You want to have dinner tonight? My treat – to make up for being such an asshat earlier.”

 

Loki sighs as he considers the files strewn across his desk.

 

Sensing the hesitation, Tony prompts, “Come on Loki, the paperwork can wait. You know the saying: all work and no play make Loki a dull boy!”

 

Chuckling, Loki says, “Very well; you have convinced me. Come find me when you’re ready to leave and I will allow you to make up for your earlier rudeness.”

 

Tony gives an exaggerated bow as he slowly backs out of Loki’s office. “I am humbled by your generosity, great and mighty CEO.”

 

“Don’t make me throw my paperweight at you,” Loki warns good-naturedly.

 

Tony grins as he closes the office doors and returns to his lab.  


	7. Obadiah

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Obadiah learns why you do not mess with Loki Stark (or his brother).

Night has long since descended on California by the time Obadiah returns home. He’s just finished negotiating a large weapons shipment and is in dire need of a stiff drink. The customer he’d been dealing with for weeks had been eager to buy, but also incredibly cautious about doing so. He’d heard rumours, apparently, that doing business with Obadiah was bad for your health. He’d been a hard sell, but eventually Obie’s silver tongue and the lure of Stark Industries weapons (the best of the best that money could buy) had been too much for the man to resist. He’d purchased twice the number of missiles he’d initially requested, and Obadiah had immediately put in the order for them to be shipped out. Once the money had been paid, of course; Obadiah trusted his customers as far as he could throw them until payment was made.

 

Obadiah disables the alarm as he slips into the hallway. He locks the door behind him and shrugs out of his suit jacket as he heads for the study. He has an aged whiskey he keeps there to celebrate successes such as this, and feels he should indulge a little whilst watching the late night news. He turns on the study light, and for a moment his heart stops.

 

Obadiah forces a laugh and places a hand over his breast. “Loki. You scared me son.”

 

The young CEO is seated behind Obadiah’s desk in his high-backed chair. His shockingly green eyes are cold and he lacks his usual charming smile. He tilts his head and asks wryly, “What’s in the briefcase Obie?” 

 

Obadiah resists the urge to glance at the case in his hand. Plastering on a smile he asks, “Aren’t you a bit old to be playing these sorts of games? How long have you been sitting in the dark, eh? Was it worth the wait to try and give an old man a heart attack?” An additional thought suddenly occurs to Obadiah. “How did you get in without setting off the alarms?”

 

“Don’t attempt to evade my question. What is in the briefcase Mr Stane?”

 

Obadiah drops his smile. “We’re not at the office Loki. This is my house – you can’t just break in here and start ordering me around. What’s happened to your manners young man?”

 

“I know we’re not at the office,” Loki replies calmly, menace underlying his tone, “which is exactly why you should discard the foolish notion that I respect you or give a damn about your continuing existence.” Slowly, the young CEO rises to his feet. “If I were you I would bear that in mind when I ask for one final time: what is in the briefcase?”

 

“Who do you think you are?” Obadiah growls, his grip on the case tightening as his patience wears thin. “I am your godfather, you insolent brat, and I will not let you talk to me this way in my own home!”

 

Loki smirks, cruel and ironic. “Let me? Do you think I can be intimidated, you traitorous piece of filth? Have you not already realised that I know exactly what’s in the briefcase; that I know all of your dirty secrets?”

 

“Loki-”

 

“No,” Loki hisses. “You had your chance to come clean. Now you will be silent whilst I speak.”

 

“If you don’t leave right now I’m calling the police,” Obadiah threatens as he strides over to the telephone. Coincidentally, the drawer beneath the phone is where he keeps a pistol for occasions such as these.

 

“The phone company are experiencing problems in this area tonight and I took the bullets out of your gun, including the one in the chamber,” Loki replies calmly as he steps out from behind the desk.

 

Obadiah picks up the phone but all he hears is static. He carefully puts down the receiver and turns calculating eyes on Loki. “What game are you playing here son?”

 

A dry smile flickers across the young CEO’s face before his expression once again becomes bland, almost bored. “Sit down Obadiah.”

 

“You’re not as intimidating as you think you are Loki,” Obadiah lies, because right now he is more than a little disgruntled by this hostile version of his godson.

 

“Foolish mortal,” Loki mutters almost fondly. “You only think that because you have yet to realise just how far you have wandered into the dragon’s den.” Before Obie can respond Loki perches on the edge of his desk. His crosses his arms across his chest and says with a humouring smile, “Since you believe that we are playing a games, shall I guess what is in the briefcase?” Loki tilts his head as if pondering the answer. “Documents, I think. Incriminating documents that prove you have been illegally selling Stark Industries weapons to dictators, terrorists, rebels, gangsters, and general human scum.”

 

Obadiah doesn’t say a word. He simply stares at Loki and wonders how long he has known that Obie has been forging the CEO’s signature so that he could deal under the table.

 

Loki smirks. “Your silence speaks volumes. You know as well as I that those documents you hold have the power to terminate your career if they were to ever see the light of day. They would also paint a rather large target on your back; I’m sure the Department of Defence would be the first of many to seek vengeance for the lives of soldiers lost to your dealings with this nation’s enemies.”

 

“Without admitting that what you say is in any way true,” Obie says carefully, “if it was – what would you do about it?”

 

“That is the question is it not?” Loki sighs. “What to do with a man who has betrayed my trust in more ways than he can comprehend?” The CEO pins Obie with eyes that are terribly old and jaded for one so young. “I should have killed you years ago. I knew what you would do given the chance; I knew that you were a jackal in disguise. Yet sentimentality stayed my hand. You played the role of dutiful godfather well and were a better father to two orphan boys than their real father ever was. That was why I was willing to give you a second chance you clearly didn’t deserve. I had hoped the act would become more, as it did for me. I had hoped that this time around you would cease to hunger for a throne that is not yours. Yet you could not resist that power, that wealth, that prestige. You found a way to sell weapons and line your pocket with the riches needed to hire an assassin.” Obie tenses as Loki bares his teeth in a smile that is as far from friendly as physically possible. “You would spill my blood – the blood of one you claim to be family – in order to usurp my throne? A grave insult, but one I might have overlooked in order to spare your other godson the pain of mourning you. That is, until I learnt of how your assassin intended to dispose of me. You did not forbid him from causing collateral damage, did you? You would have let Tony die along with me, and you would not have lost any sleep over it. You would have shed only crocodile tears for the cameras at our funerals as the lawyers swiftly signed over our empire to you. That is something I cannot and will not forgive.” With obviously fake remorse, Loki continues, “I’m sorry Obadiah, but you have become too big of a pest to be allowed to live. I cannot risk overlooking one of your schemes and having Tony pay the price for my carelessness. I’m afraid that, for my brother’s sake, you must be dealt with swiftly and effectively.”

 

Obadiah turns to run, certain that Loki is both dangerous and unreasonable. He gets as far as the entrance to the study before a body crashes into him, sending him against the doorframe. Obie struggles desperately, but his godson is far stronger than he ever imagined. Grasping the older man by the throat, Loki lifts Obie off the floor with one hand as if he weighed nothing. The CEO’s expression is bleak as he stares unflinchingly into his godfather’s eyes. Obie knows that look – he’s seen it on the faces of dozens of men he’s made deals with over the years. It is the expression of one who knows death intimately and is not afraid of ending a life. It is the look of a man who will not forgive, whose hand will not be stayed. Obadiah knows what Loki plans to do next, and that he will not be swayed from his task by words. Words are the only tool Obie has left, however, and he plans to fight until the end.       

 

“Loki,” Obie chokes. “Don’t do this.”

 

 “I’m afraid you are too late to throw yourself at my mercy. I gave you a chance to set yourself on a different course and you let me down. I am not in the habit of offering second chances.” Suddenly, Loki grins – wide and insincere and displaying far too many teeth. “Don’t worry; I’ll make sure it is a death befitting the great Obadiah Stane.”

 

With that Loki shifts his grip of iron, and Obadiah’s world descends into darkness.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a new work in this series, _Motherhood_ , which I've just posted that explores Maria Stark and her relationship with her sons.


	8. Pepper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Loki is sneaky and also a matchmaker.

“Good day Miss Potts. Please, sit down,” Loki greets warmly as he indicates the chair in front of his desk.

 

Hesitantly, Pepper does as instructed. “You asked to see me Sir?”

 

“I did. And please, don’t be nervous; this is simply a meeting to discuss our prior agreement,” Loki says with a genial smile.

 

“Agreement?”

 

“Yes. When I asked you to become my brother’s personal assistant we agreed to review your position a year later. Well, a year has passed, and so I must ask you how you have found the work.”

 

After the shock of realising that, yes, it has been a year since she started working with Tony, passes Pepper smiles in relief. This is simply a business meeting and not a reprimand for allowing Tony to make a fool of himself in front of the press (again) at the previous night’s gala. Although Tony is technically her boss and she is technically not his babysitter, she still has the unfortunate habit of feeling responsible whenever the paparazzi snaps a picture of Tony licking glitter off a stripper’s stomach. (That is all she feels, she tells herself – her relationship with Tony is purely professional).

  

“The first month was hard and for a moment I did consider resigning. Since then, however, Mr Stark and I have learnt how to work with each other. I believe we have developed a healthy, productive, professional working relationship.”

 

“So I’ve heard,” Loki says with a knowing grin. “Tony speaks very highly of you and considers you an invaluable asset in ensuring that the paperwork is not only accurate but also legible.”

 

Pepper flushes in both embarrassment and pleasure. She tries not to wonder exactly what else Tony has said about her when she replies, “I’m his first assistant; he would say that.”

 

“I don’t believe that. You are a very special woman Miss Potts, and I know that like me my brother recognises your talents. Which is why I know he will be extremely disappointed with whomever I hire to replace you.”

 

Pepper tenses and blurts, “Excuse me?”

 

“Our agreement,” Loki replies mischievously. “I said that if you could survive a year as my brother’s PA I would make you my new personal assistant. As one year has passed it is time for you to make the transition. Starting next month you will be working directly for the CEO of a multibillion dollar corporation and will receive all the perks of the position, such as a substantial pay rise and signing bonus.” Loki pauses and raises an inquisitive eyebrow. “This is what you wanted is it not? Is this not the reason you agreed to babysit my brother in the first place?”

 

“It is,” Pepper answers slowly. She bites her lip and thinks furiously for a moment. Even though Tony spends half his time acting like an unruly child, causing havoc wherever he goes and leaving Pepper to clean up his messes, that doesn’t mean she dislikes working for him. As much as she complains to her friends about him she does relish the challenge he presents. His unpredictability always keeps her on her toes and means that no two days will ever be the same. Working with Tony is never boring, is never simple, is never just another day at the office. It is an adventure that, although stressful, Pepper nevertheless looks forward to at the start of each day. The idea of giving that up – of working for Loki, who is organised and meticulous and a notorious creature of habit when it comes to his professional life – leaves her feeling hollow, as if she is letting go of something important. ( _Someone_ her traitorous heart corrects). The promotion she had longed for a year ago is no longer the carrot on the end of the stick that it once was. It is no longer what she wants, not when she is happier in her current job than she has been since her mother died. Pepper looks up into Loki’s expectant eyes and says, “I’m sorry Mr Stark but I have to respectfully decline your offer. It would be a great honour to work for you, but I wouldn’t feel right leaving Mr Stark in the hands of another assistant. I would like to continue working with him, if that’s alright with you.”

 

“I am disappointed to hear that,” Loki sighs. “But I understand. It is very easy to become attached to Tony and to do everything possible to spare him pain.” He pauses for a moment before adding, “However, in not leaving you cause him a different form of pain.” A devilish look enters the CEO’s eyes as he continues, “You see Miss Potts, Tony has confided in me that he has feelings for you. Romantic feelings which he believes he should not act upon so long as you work together. For once my brother has shown great maturity by deciding to not pursue something he desires. He does not want to sour your working relationship by giving the misimpression that what he desires from you in any way resembles any of his previous trysts.”

 

“What are you implying Mr Stark?” Pepper asks, her heart beginning to race.

 

“I am implying that your affections for my brother are not unrequited. I am also implying that neither of you will be comfortable conducting a relationship so long as you are employer and employee. You need space and a more even power dynamic. That is why I believe you should reconsider your refusal of my previous offer. In my humble opinion, Tony needs you as a girlfriend more than he needs you as his assistant.”

 

For a moment Pepper is speechless.

 

“I didn’t know you were a matchmaker Mr Stark.”

 

The CEO chuckles lightly. “Usually I am not. In this case, however, I could not resist meddling in my brother’s love life. I believe that the two of you would be good together, and would prefer that you realise this sooner rather than later. Tony tends to act on his worst impulses when he is emotionally conflicted and I have no desire to witness the fallout of his infatuation via the morning news.”

 

Pepper takes a moment to consider the proposal. “Are you not worried that Tony will react badly to the changes you suggest?”

 

“The thought had crossed my mind. However, I am sure that if you are the one to break the news to him (and perhaps alter the course of events so that you were intending to resign and I offered you the promotion so that you would be free to follow your heart) then he will be too overjoyed to cause trouble. He will find his new assistant lacking but he will have you to help when they fall short. Besides, they should have a far easier time than you: I’m hoping that being in a stable relationship will reduce the number of PR headaches caused by Tony’s partying. Really Miss Potts you would be doing me a favour by agreeing to date my brother.”

 

Pepper shakes her head with a wry smile. She carefully considers Loki’s proposition and is unable to find any reason why she should not accept. Loki is offering her a chance to stop denying her feelings for her boss (how Loki found out about her crush she doesn’t want to know) and to progress her career without abandoning Tony. The cynical part of Pepper feels that this must be a dream – there’s no way things should come together this easily outside of a dream – and yet when she discreetly pinches herself she does not awaken alone in her bed or curled up on her sofa. No, this is real and Pepper would be a fool to let this opportunity pass her by.

 

Her smile now wide and bright, Pepper rises to her feet and says, “Well, in that case, I accept your offer Mr Stark.”

 

“Excellent,” the CEO grins as he also rises and shakes her hand. “I’ll have the paperwork organised and sent to you to review before you sign. Now, I suggest you go and break the good news to Tony before he hears half the story through the grapevine and decides to hunt me down for stealing his assistant.”

 

Pepper nods and picks up her purse. “What should I do if he accuses you of spying on him again?”

 

“Tell him that I could make the same accusations: he could have sent you to spy on me so that he can better plot my downfall and his rise to CEO of Stark Industries.”

 

Pepper is unable to prevent the snort that escapes. “I think your job is safe – Tony would hate being CEO.”

 

“I know,” Loki replies with a smug grin. “Enjoy the rest of your day Miss Potts. Do not fret if Tony decides to whisk you away for celebratory drinks; I’ve already cancelled all of my brother’s meetings. I know him well and know that he will want to take his new girlfriend out for Champaign, even if it is only 11am.”  

 

Barely able to contain her joy, Pepper says, “Thank you Mr Stark. For everything.”

 

Loki waves his hand dismissively and turns his attention towards his computer. With a smile that threatens to split her face, Pepper exits the CEO’s office and heads to the R&D department to do what she has secretly wanted to do for the last few months: ask her pain in the ass of a boss to go on a date with her and kiss him until he agrees.   


	9. Loki

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Loki reveals his true identity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here we have the longest chapter yet. I feel I should spend more time editing it, but I also feel that if I do that I'll just get more frustrated and the chapter will never be finished. Fingers crossed everyone is in character xx

Tony’s twenty-fifth birthday comes and goes and Loki is left with a hollow feeling in the pit of his stomach. He wishes he had asked Odin for longer, wishes he could have put off this moment for five or ten more years. Would it have made a difference, though? Would breaking the illusion have hurt any less with an extra ten years of memories to shatter his heart? No, Loki knows that the pain would likely have increased as the number of years did. It is better to come clean now, to say something before Tony discovers his secret. Tony is smart, smarter than any mortal Loki has ever known, and as time draws closer to that fateful day when Thor will destroy the Bifrost it is almost inevitable that he will become suspicious of Loki. It is better to confess now, to be completely honest for the first time in centuries. Loki knows how painful it is to have the truth withheld, to learn from another source that everything you have ever known is a lie. He refuses to make the same mistake as Odin, refuses to underestimate the impact of such a revelation. Loki will expose his secrets to the light of day and allow Tony to make of them what he will. Whatever complications arise, Loki still has many years in which to address and correct them – to rebuild the trust between them which is sure to fracture; and although the thought of that terrifies him he does not waver from his resolution to do this, now, for both their sakes.

 

At noon on the Saturday after Tony’s birthday the two brothers meet in the living room of Tony’s penthouse. Loki is tense – truly anxious for the first time in years. He has entered battles and unknown realms with more confidence than this; and that thought would amuse him far more if he was not also thoroughly irritated with himself for reacting so foolishly to a conversation with a mortal.

 

After knowing each other for twenty-five years Tony quickly picks up on Loki’s discomfort. He drops the easy grin which has been present since Loki arrived, and settles on the sofa opposite the CEO with a worried frown. “Is there something on your mind Loki?”

 

“Yes,” Loki sighs, his stomach churning at the thought of Tony’s reaction to his revelation.

 

Tony waits patiently for Loki to speak.

 

Pushing down the bile rising in his throat, Loki takes a deep breath and says, “Tony, I have a confession to make... I’m not really your brother.”

 

Tony laughs. “Nice try Loki but I’m not falling for that.”

 

“I am not joking,” Loki replies soberly, his gaze meeting Tony’s unflinchingly. The conversation eerily reminds him of the day he informed Tony of the death of his parents and that comparison does absolutely nothing for Loki’s nerves. “The truth is that I was not born on Earth. I am from Asgard, the highest of the Nine Realms, and when you were born I inserted myself into your family. I used magic to manipulate time and memory so that I would become your brother. That is why I have always been stronger and smarter than most mortals, why I have never taken ill, and why I have never needed a teacher to instruct me in magic or combat.” Self-consciously Loki wets his lips. “Did it never occur to you that I might be more than what I seemed?”

 

The expression that flickers across Tony’s face clearly says that it hadn’t, and Loki tries not to wince at the pain that causes. Tony had trusted his big brother implicitly, had never found reason to doubt him. Any anomalies had been ignored, had been explained away as ‘because he’s Loki and awesome’. Only now were the inconsistencies raising their ugly heads, were making themselves so glaringly obvious that Tony was being forced to pay attention and entertain the notion that Loki might not be lying.

 

“If you’re telling me the truth,” Tony murmurs cautiously, “then why?” Loki’s eyes indicate he should elaborate and so Tony continues, “Why would you do this? Why would you ever want to be a part of my messed up family? Why are you telling me this now?”

 

“Your first question is...complicated to answer.” Loki rubs at his temples as he struggles to find the right words. “I suppose I should start with how we met in my timeline. I was once a prince of Asgard who (due to pure coincidence and a certain amount of manoeuvring) was for a short time made king of the realm eternal. In that time I learnt that I was not born on Asgard, that I had been stolen by the man I thought was my father to be...to be another relic locked away until I became of use. Oh, he claimed that he loved me, but I knew the truth. My entire life had been a lie; I had been no more than a pawn in his game – I never was and never would be a son in his eyes.” Loki takes a deep breath to force down the rage and pain still conjured by memories of that day. “To cut a long story short: I fell from grace in Asgard and came to Earth to establish my kingdom and put an end to the mortals’ petty wars. A band of self-proclaimed heroes, which included my golden-child adoptive brother, thwarted my plans and placed me under arrest. They could not hold me though. I escaped and again attempted to place Earth under my rule. The Avengers returned to stop me and, as we did battle, I discovered something interesting about one of these heroes. Iron Man – a genius mortal with an Arc Reactor heart.”

 

Tony twitches at the mention of the Arc Reactor. Loki smiles grimly.

 

“Yes, you were Iron Man. You were kidnapped by terrorists and created a miniature Arc Reactor to stop shrapnel from entering your heart and ending your life. You then created a suit of armour that was the greatest weapon your world had ever seen and used it to escape your captors. You joined the Avengers to stop me and allegedly save your world.” Loki leans forward, his forearms resting heavily on his thighs. “You intrigued me from the very beginning. Your power, your reputation, your charisma – I chose to use the monument you created to your narcissism as the platform for my victory.” A fond smile at the memory of Iron Man landing and walking calmly to face him briefly flashes across Loki’s lips. “There was something familiar about you which called to me, but it was not until a much later battle that I realised what it was I sensed. When you told me about Howard and the issues that existed between you I saw myself and my own struggle for Odin’s approval. In that moment I was overcome with...sentiment – which I told myself was a plan to cripple my enemies. A crude lie that only lasted as long as it did because I have centuries of practice in lying to myself as well as others.”

 

A self-depreciating smile crosses Loki’s lips as his mind momentarily drags him towards a dark place he does not want to visit. He hastily banishes the urge to dwell on such things and returns to his tale.

 

“The lie was that if I created for you a happy childhood, or at least one that was not so full of lonely misery, then I could prevent you from becoming Iron Man and foiling my campaign for this world. The truth is that I wished to give you what I longed for throughout my childhood – a friend who understood what it was to be different. I was always too clever for my own good; I was thought a freak and a coward for favouring magic and tactics over hand-to-hand combat. Even the one who I was led to believe was my brother did not believe me a true warrior because I preferred to use illusions over brute force. Then I saw you (a brilliant child shunned because he was too clever, because everyone was jealous of how brightly you shone and did not realise the only reason you acted as though you were better than them was because you _were_ better than them) and I saw my own reflection. I also saw how I might make your childhood tolerable, how I might give you the supportive sibling I had never had. I admit that I too have benefitted from this relationship: I have been given a brother, someone I care for deeply and do not wish to see any harm come to... That is perhaps the best answer to your other question: I have revealed this to you now because the world will soon change. Earth will again learn of the existence of the other realms; and with that knowledge I knew there would come suspicion, or even one who knew me in my old life. I know the pain of discovering a lie through another and did not want you to suffer that. I wanted to be the one to tell you who I am and to try to explain why I have done what I have done. You are twenty-five and old enough to know the truth and, hopefully, to know that even if we are not connected by blood I am still your brother and will always be there for you.”

 

“That’s the thing though, isn’t it?” Tony replies with a crooked smile. “You’re not really my brother.”

 

“Tony-”

 

“No!” Tony shouts as he jumps to his feet. “I don’t want to hear it. If this isn’t one huge messed up prank then that means that you lied to me; that you’ve been lying for the past twenty-eight years. The only reason that you’re not still lying to me is because you’re scared that one of your alien bros is going to come and spill the beans. If there wasn’t the chance that I might find out from one of them you would have continued to string me along, to let me play make-believe that I still have a family.”

 

“I am still your family,” Loki argues.

 

Tony laughs bitterly. “Yes, perhaps you are. I mean, the Starks aren’t exactly a normal family are we? Look at me: richer than God, able to outsmart college professors at sixteen, more handsome than Tom Hanks. My dad? More interested in machines and searching for dead heroes than his own son. My mom? She could never keep up with me and always struggled with her maternal instinct. Jarvis was the closest thing to a parent I had (apart from Obie, who just up and disappeared without leaving a note or anything) and he was the hired help. And you, my brother, secretly an alien who tried to take over the world like a clichéd villain from a Saturday morning cartoon.” Tony laughs again and adds bitingly, “Yeah, you’re right, I guess you are family.”

 

It hurts Loki to have Tony aim such derision at him. He understands his little brother’s anger, had expected Tony to react in a similar manner to the news, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t excruciating to know that he is the source of all this pain.

 

“I’m sorry Tony. I never wanted to-”

 

“Shut up,” Tony growls. “Shut up and get out. I can’t deal with you right now so just...just go.” Tony rakes his fingers through his hair and turns to walk away from Loki.

 

Slowly, Loki rises to his feet. He heads for the door and places his hand on the knob. Then he turns back and says, “If you have any more questions you can call me or knock on my door. Unless I’m at the office I’m always available to talk.”

 

Tony ignores him and Loki sighs. He opens the door and exits the apartment. He then closes the door on his little brother and walks away.

*******

Later that day Loki receives a call from Pepper. His PA’s voice is rough as if she has recently finished crying. Loki realises this is exactly what has happened when Pepper’s next words are, “I’m sorry to disturb you on a Saturday Mr Stark, and I’m sorry that I called for something that isn’t a work matter, but Tony just dumped me and I was wondering if you knew the reason behind it?”

 

Loki silently curses and pinches his temples. “I’m afraid I do Miss Potts. Tony and I had a fight earlier today and he may be attempting to cut you out of his life because of your connection to me.”

 

For a moment Pepper is silent. “What did the two of you fight about?” It is less of a question and more of an expression of shock that two people as close as Loki and Tony could ever find a reason to engage in such a quarrel.

 

With a mirthless smile Loki replies, “It is a long and complicated tale Miss Potts. I am hoping that once Tony has calmed himself I will be able to make amends and repair whatever damage my brother has done in his grief.”

 

“Is there anything I can do?”

 

“I am afraid not Miss Potts. This is one matter I must handle alone.” After a contemplative pause Loki adds, “Actually, there is something you can do. You can buy yourself a dress from me as an apology for the inadvertent heartbreak our disagreement has caused you.”

 

Pepper laughs. “That is very kind of you Mr Stark. I think that is a task I can manage right now.”

 

“Excellent,” Loki replies with a light smile. “Good day Miss Potts.”

 

“Good day Mr Stark.”

*******

Approximately forty minutes later Loki receives a call from Captain Rhodes. “I just picked up a voice message from your brother. There was a lot of creative cursing that ended in him suggesting I find someone else to replace me as Military liaison.”  

 

With a huff of frustration Loki replies, “It is my fault Captain. I will attempt to talk to Tony before he does anything else rash.”

 

“Good luck with that; Tony sounded pretty wasted over the phone – in my experience that means he’s not really in a talking, or listening, mindset.”

 

Cursing under his breath, Loki says, “Thank you for that piece of information Captain. Good day to you,” before hanging up. He then begins to pace, unsure of how he should proceed. Tony is drunk and acting irrationally. His anger is causing him to sever all ties with Loki – to what extent the former god is unsure. He needs to intervene before Tony goes too far, but at the same time he knows from experience that any interference when Tony is still raw and raging will only make matters worse.

 

Grabbing a plate from the countertop, Loki throws it against the nearest wall and grins vindictively at the satisfying smash of ceramic. He stares down at the broken plate and eventually the grin leaves his lips. With a sigh and the wave of his hand the plate becomes whole and Loki bends down to retrieve it. He considers the dish for a moment before eventually placing it back on the counter and walking away.

***

The next day’s gossip rags’ collective headline features the truly spectacular party thrown by Tony Stark. The music had been loud, the alcohol had been flowing, and the penthouse had ended up utterly trashed. Loki had grimaced upon reading this and contemplated visiting Tony. Destroying his home should mean that all his pent-up rage had been released and make it safe for Loki to check on him. Loki sighs in irritation when he remembers that Tony had been drinking the previous night, and so will likely be suffering from a hangover for the rest of the day. His visit will have to be postponed until a later date.

***

 Loki is awakened by the ringing of his phone at 2.30 in the morning. He picks up the receiver with a curt, “Yes?” and is surprised by the reply.

 

“Mr Stark? This is Sergeant Gabriel of the LAPD. Your brother Anthony Stark was arrested and brought to the station about five minutes ago for drunk and disorderly conduct. We thought you might appreciate the call.”  

 

Understanding now why he had been advised to give that generous annual donation to the LAPD, Loki replies, “Thank you Sergeant. I will be there to sort out the problem once I have contacted my attorney.”

 

“No problem Sir.”

 

Loki hangs up and crawls out of bed to search for the number of the Stark family criminal lawyer. In a flurry of golden magic he is dressed in his business suit and beside his rolodex. He easily finds the number he is after and heads to the kitchen to make himself a cup of tea as the phone rings. Eventually the man on the other end picks up and Loki is able to explain the situation. With that done Loki hangs up, finishes his tea, and teleports down to the garage and his car.

 

Roughly an hour later Tony is released into Loki’s custody. By that point the media vultures have gathered outside the police station and are practically climbing over each other to be the first to gain a quote. The sergeant who had phoned Loki offers to have his car brought to the back of the precinct so that he can leave without having to engage with the press. The CEO gladly accepts the offer and sends his attorney to deliver a statement as a distraction. Loki is then left alone with Tony in a room at the back of the station to await the signal that they are clear to leave.

 

Loki sits with his arms crossed, one finger tapping out an agitated rhythm on his bicep as he glares at Tony. The younger brother is also glaring, just not at Loki. Apart from his initial outburst when the officer brought him out of his cell (where he basically swore at Loki and declared that he would rather stay with the police than go home with the CEO) Tony has not said a word. It is blindingly obvious that he is still angry at Loki, his rage likely fuelled by the alcohol still residing in his system. Loki doesn’t care – he too is furious, even if he has yet to vocalise that fury. He had hoped to wait until they were home to have the conversation that they need to have, but now that they are alone the CEO does not believe he can control his temper for that long.

 

“Have you lost your mind?” Loki hisses. “Being arrested by the police – have I taught you nothing about avoiding detection? Or are you simply too intoxicated to control yourself?”

 

“Shut up,” Tony growls.    

 

Loki ignores him. “I understand that you are angry with me – but that is no reason to jeopardise your image, your relationships, your career! What were you _thinking_? You are lucky the LAPD enjoy receiving Stark Industries donations or they might have decided to charge you with resisting arrest and assaulting an officer. True, the man is uninjured, but if you were anyone else they might decide to prosecute regardless in order to prove a point. Is that what you wanted out of your wild night on the town – did you want to end it with a prison sentence? Because if that was your goal you would have succeeded without my intervention.”

  

“If you expect me to be grateful you’re going to be sorely disappointed.”

 

The sneer which curls Tony’s lip ignites something in Loki that has been dormant for a number of years. The CEO grabs his brother’s arm and pulls until the young man turns to face him. Tony opens his mouth to protest, rage clear in his rich brown eyes, but Loki cuts him off with his own snarl. “You are being moronic. Yes, I lied, but destroying your life will not change that. If you cut everything I have touched out of your life you will be left with nothing! Is that what you desire? To be entirely alone in this world?”

 

“Shut up!” Tony screams, attempting to escape Loki’s vice-like hold. “You don’t get to moralise me you lying bastard! This is all your fault – you’re the one who came into my life and messed with my head! You don’t get to tell me what I can and can’t do! If I want to party until I pass out then I can! If I want to distance myself from people who only pretended to care about me because you convinced them to then I can! I can do what I want and damn the consequences because it’s not like I have anyone who really cares about me! And if what I’m doing makes you look bad or pisses you off then right now that’s an added bonus to me.”

 

Once again Loki has the disconcerting sensation that he is staring into a mirror. “You’d throw your life away to spite me?”

 

“What life?” Tony sneers. “I have this thing you constructed for me – is that supposed to be my life? Because if it is I don’t want it.”

 

For a long moment Loki stares silently into Tony’s hate-filled eyes. Then he releases him and buries his face in his hands. “I’m sorry,” Loki whispers after another tension-saturated pause. “I’m so sorry Tony. I messed up and now you’re making all the mistakes I did.” A shaky laugh escapes Loki’s throat and he drops his hands into his lap. “I found out my life was a lie and did everything in my power (consciously or not) to destroy it. I was even willing to destroy myself in an attempt to wipe out all the untruths that had surrounded me since birth. And now here you are, attempting to do the exact same thing, and once again reminding me just how similar we are.”

 

“It’s not the same; _we_ are not the same,” Tony snarls. Then, after a moment of silence, “When you say destroy yourself do you mean..?”

 

“In a moment of absolute sorrow I let go and fell into the Void – into nothingness and presumed destruction. Some might consider that a suicide attempt, yes,” Loki answers with a wry smile as he stares down at his hands.

 

“Do you?”

 

Loki muses on the question for a moment. “Now I do. In the beginning I preferred the comfort of believing I was pushed and embracing the hatred that came with the lie.”

 

What follows is a much longer pause, eventually broken by Tony’s question of, “Did you succeed in destroying your old life?”

 

“In a way.”

 

“And then you came here to mess up mine.”

 

“Yes; although, as I explained, that was never my true intention.”

 

“You might have been lying about that. You lied to me for twenty-five years about who you were so you could have easily twisted the truth to try and appease me.”

 

“That is true. However, I am trying to be as honest as possible with you. It is not easy for me but I am trying so that you will believe me when I tell you that I love you. Because I do love you Tony – you are the closest thing I have had to a family and friend for the longest time. I know I have hurt you, but only in the hope that I might spare you a deeper pain. I have tried throughout your life to let you know that you are not alone, to be the companion you yearned for in the childhood in which we did not know each other. I have taught you magic and the physical arts so that you might defend yourself; I have done what I can to protect you without smothering you. I have repeated childhood and _puberty_ so that I could play the part of your elder brother – does that not say more than words ever could that I care for you?”

 

That prompts a snort of laughter from Tony. He hastily forces down his sudden smile and asks sombrely, “What about my parents? If you wanted to spare me pain why didn’t you save them? I’m guessing you knew they were going to die.”

 

“I could not save them. Their continued presence in this timeline would have torn the fabric of reality. It was a fixed point in time that I dared not interfere with.”

 

“But everything else about my life was fair game?”

 

“To an extent. In truth my presence has not dramatically altered events; it has perhaps changed how people perceive and react to those events, but the events themselves have remained. You were always destined to spend the majority of your childhood alone in boarding schools and to return home to a house that contained only Jarvis. In that other time you also befriended Captain Rhodes and were unlucky in love until you were united with Miss Potts. The chronology of these events might have been altered but the end results were not. As I said: everything I have done was intended to help you, not to cause you pain.”

 

Tony scrubs his face with his hands. “I want to believe you,” he admits quietly. “I truly, honestly, want to believe you. But you lied and now...”

 

Loki grasps hold of Tony’s hand, prompting the man to look at him. “Tony,” Loki entreats softly, sincerely, “I don’t expect you to forgive me tonight. I don’t expect things to return to the way they were based on one apology. I know that I must earn the trust that you once freely gave me. What I am asking for is the opportunity to prove that I am still the person you believed to be your brother. I am asking you to cease this self-destruction and allow me the chance to show you I am _worthy_ of your trust. Do you believe you have it in you to allow me that much?”

 

Tony takes a moment to consider the question. “I’m still mad at you,” he replies, “but you did bail me out in the middle of the night. When I think of all the people who would have done that for me I only come up with those you introduced me to, and Jarvis – of course. Mom might have done it, if Dad hadn’t been there to tell her that a few hours in a cell might do me some good. I use to think Obie would until he disappeared. There are others who would have come as a favour; but Rhodey and Pepper? They’d have done it without a second thought and not asked for anything in return except that I not get arrested again. And you? If I hadn’t been so mad at you and invited you out with me you’d have been sitting beside me in the cell asking what we’d be doing next Friday night.”

 

“If you had invited me out we would not have been caught,” Loki corrects.

 

Tony’s smile is genuine, if not a little strained. “The golden rule you taught me when we were kids:  whatever you do – don’t get caught.”

 

“Precisely,” Loki breathes, fighting down the hope that is slowly forming in his breast.

 

Some of the strain leaves Tony’s smile. “I’m still mad at you,” he reiterates, “but I guess I can forgive you. Just promise me that there’ll be no more lies, and that you’ll still be there to help if I ever get in over my head or do something stupid or-”

 

“I swear on the branches of the World Tree that I will continue to fulfil my duty as your older brother and lead you out of any scrapes I may lead you into or that you fall prey to of your own volition.” Loki wets his lips and adds, “I will give you truth where I can. Some matters, as in magical theory, are best explained through half-truths and white lies to permit comprehension and action.”

 

“Alright,” Tony replies dubiously. “I suppose I can accept that promise, for now.”

 

Loki is grateful of that – there are some details about his old and new lives that he does not believe Tony is yet ready to hear and he would hate to have this fragile bond of trust destroyed for good over a white lie. Reaching out, Loki pulls Tony into a hug. His brother is stiff and unresponsive. Disappointed, Loki lets go and silence returns to the room.

 

Eventually the Sergeant returns and tells them their car is ready. The two brothers exit the police station and drive to Loki’s home (since Tony’s is still trashed from his last party). When they arrive Tony heads straight to Loki’s guestroom. Loki potters around the kitchen for ten minutes before checking to make sure Tony is alright. He finds his younger brother still dressed and fast asleep above the covers of the bed. Loki closes the door and settles in the living room to work – his mind too full of thoughts for him to even attempt sleep.

 

Around midday Tony surfaces. He makes it to the bathroom before he vomits the contents of his stomach into the toilet. Loki dutifully brings him water and ensures that the limp form slumped against the porcelain receptacle is still conscious. Tony groans and leans against Loki, his head resting on the elder brother’s shoulder. He apologises groggily and swears he will never drink again. Loki laughs softly to avoid aggravating Tony’s headache and tells his brother he has been making the same promise since he was seventeen. Tony huffs but does not pull away. Loki wraps his arm around him and he doesn’t protest. Instead he buries his face in the crook of Loki’s neck and lets a few soundless tears escape. Loki tightens his grip on his brother and pretends that he too is not crying over the family he lost and the friend he might just have managed to save.     


	10. Odin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Odin pays Loki another visit.

Exactly twenty-five years after his conversation with Loki, Odin returns to the park where they struck their deal. The weather is overcast, every dark cloud promising rain. Still, there are a number of families who have ventured out with the hope that the weather will hold until they return home. The AllFather smiles at a father carrying a screaming toddler who has just made a break for freedom. The father returns the smile wearily before racing off to settle a dispute between his elder children. Odin chuckles and carries on walking towards the bench that offers the best view of the rolling green space that many families favour for picnics. This is the wrong time and the wrong weather for picnics, though, and so the grass has been claimed by a group of teenagers throwing a Frisbee.

 

A familiar face watches the teenagers’ game with detached interest as Odin takes a seat beside him. “Loki,” Odin greets softly.

 

“AllFather,” Loki replies without looking, his gaze remaining fixed on the laughing mortals. “I thought you might wish to visit now that our verbal contract has expired.”

 

“Indeed. I wished to know how you are doing Loki.”

 

His youngest son’s lip and shoulders twitch as if he is suppressing a laugh. “I think what you meant to say was that you wish to know how my schemes are unfolding.”

 

“That is not-”

 

“You do not need to lie to me AllFather; I understand your suspicions. I have concealed a number of my activities from Heimdall’s all-seeing gaze, and you assume I have done so because I am up to no good. You have not considered that I might have acted to protect any watching from the burden of knowing what the future holds for them.”

 

“The two are not mutually exclusive Loki.”

 

Loki smiles, his gaze still turned towards the teenagers. “No, they are not.”

 

Odin sighs. “I did not come here to fight.”

 

“I know,” Loki replies. “You came here for information, information I still cannot give without threatening to rupture the fabric of reality. You would not want that to happen, would you, AllFather?”

 

Once again Odin wonders who this stranger is. He is not the Loki he knows – he is not the son who seeks attention with tricks and tries to avoid blame with lies. He is not the boy who wished to learn how to fight with the spear so that he could impress Odin and have some common ground in conversations with him. He is not the child who held tight to Odin’s hand and stared up at him in wonder as the king recounted his tales of war and conquest. This Loki is cold and full of masked contempt for him. Odin wants desperately to know what has happened to him, but he also knows that he cannot ask for fear of what repercussions that knowledge will bring. The pain that comes from the feelings of helplessness this conjures is worse than any war wound. Being king means he cannot shower Loki with all the affection he perhaps needs, but that does not mean he does not love his son. He loves both his sons with all his heart, regardless of their faults or heritage.

 

Is that why Loki has meddled with time? Did he need a father figure who would give him the support he needed? Odin has watched him over the years and had thought that his new father was far colder than he had ever been. But then he is hardly objective in this matter. Whatever Loki had been searching for during all this, he has been happy. Odin has seen Loki smile, not sneer, whilst on Earth; he has seen his boy laugh without malice. It is more than the Loki on Asgard has done of late.

 

“Was it worth it?”

 

At last Loki turns to face him, his brow furrowed in confusion.

 

“Risking the stability of reality by altering time: was it worth it? I personally cannot see what your actions here have achieved, but I know you would not have attempted to do this unless you believed it important and necessary. So, for my own piece of mind I ask again: was it worth the risk?”

 

Loki considers his answer for a moment. “Yes,” he answers slowly. “It was worth it.”

 

“Good. Then I have only one more question: is there anything I can do to ensure your schemes bear further fruit?”

 

Loki is clearly taken aback by the question and takes a second to recover. “Yes, there is. When you finally grow tired of Thor’s arrogance I would like you to send him to these coordinates to think over what he has done.”

 

Loki’s hand and magic brush against Odin’s and the information is instantly transferred. “You wish for me to send him here?”

 

“Not really,” Loki admits. “But this is where you sent him before and I do not want my presence here to affect that. Thor’s trip to Earth is one of those events I do not believe can be avoided, unfortunately.”

 

“Is there anything else I might do?”

 

“You can leave me alone. You have a kingdom to rule and I am a distraction you do not need.”

 

Odin regards his son silently as he extracts the hidden meaning from those words. “I am sorry Loki for whatever I will do to you. I am sorry that you have had to adopt a mortal because there was some void your life on Asgard could not fill. I am sorry and hope that one day you will be able to forgive me.”

 

Something raw and young flickers across Loki’s face before it is wiped away and replaced by his mask of cold detachment. “I am sorry too AllFather.”

 

With that Loki rises to his feet and curtly walks away. Odin remains where he is, his gaze drifting from Loki’s retreating back to the frolicking teenagers. Eventually he too stands and exits the park with a heavy heart.   


	11. Tony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Tony finally decides to put a ring on it.

It has been four years since he first met Pepper, three years since they started dating, and two years since they briefly broke up due to his stupidity and inability to deal with his emotions. Tony is still amazed that she was willing to take him back after his brutal dismissal, but then Pepper is an amazing woman. She is smart, beautiful, kind, patient, strong-willed, sassy, and...and perfect. She deserves the world – the universe, even – and Tony would gladly give it to her if she asked him for it. She won’t, though, which is why any guy would be lucky to have her.

 

“What about that one?” Tony asks, pointing to a ring adorned with a diamond larger than the band attached to it.

 

“You still have terrible taste in jewellery,” Loki comments, his lip twisted in disgust. “Bigger does not always mean better Tony.”

 

“That’s why I brought you along – you’ve always been better at this stuff than me.”

 

“That is true,” Loki smirks before returning to assessing the engagement rings on display. Tony huffs as he too returns to the task at hand. Still, he can’t help smiling when Loki adds without looking at him, “Thank you for trusting me with this.”

 

“You’re my brother; there’s no one else I trust more.” He pauses for dramatic effect before continuing, “Except for Pepper, but I couldn’t ask her for obvious reasons. And Rhodey, but he has pretty much the same taste in jewellery as me. Then there’s Lauren-”

 

“If you’re talking about your assistant, her name is Laura.”

 

“I knew that,” Tony says hastily.

 

Loki chuckles and points to a ring. “That one.”

 

The sales assistant removes the indicated ring from the display case and offers it to Tony. The golden band with a moderately sized diamond leaves Tony feeling spectacularly underwhelmed. He gives Loki a questioning look, which prompts his brother to roll his eyes.

 

“ _You_ are not the one being proposed to Tony. Trust me when I say that Pepper wants a ring that is expensive but unlikely to constantly attract thieves. She wants something elegant that she can show off to friends, but will not make her feel self-conscious when she is in public. She is a practical woman at heart and so will want a practical engagement ring.” Somewhat reluctantly Loki adds, “You are still free to make the actual proposal as garish and flashy as you desire.”

 

Tony grins and pulls out his credit card. “We’ll take it.”

 

The sales assistant smiles and hurries to ready the purchase. When the transaction is complete the brothers walk out of Tiffanies and stand on the sidewalk whilst Loki uses his new cell phone to call his driver. As he waits for his ride back home, Tony is once again grateful that he’d made the effort to forgive his brother. For a time after Loki’s revelation Tony had been reluctant to forgive and forget. He’d doubted every word Loki had ever said to him and had been unable to trust every new interaction the two of them engaged in. He’d felt angry at what he perceived to be a massive betrayal, and all he’d wanted to do was hate Loki and break all ties to him.

 

In the end, though, Loki was family. He was family through magic and manipulation and questionable motives – but he was family nonetheless. He was the only one who had never left, who had always seemed to have Tony’s best interests at heart, who had always strived to ensure that Tony never felt like he was alone in the world. If Tony had cut out Loki and all the people the alien had brought into his life then he would have been alone. He would have been adrift in the world without purpose and without a friend to help him. So Tony had made the effort to forgive and move on from those few days of hell when he had tried to drink and party his life away.

 

Still, they’re not as close as they used to be. After a revelation like that Tony doesn’t think either of them ever expected that they would be. They’re still on better terms than a number of other sibling duos Tony knows, however. They have what Pepper jokingly refers to as their ‘date night’. Once a week they watch a movie or a game together; they play (shots) chess, plan mischief, or just have a nice dinner and talk. Once a month their date night is dedicated to improving Tony’s magical and physical defences. This involves Loki battering away at him until he falls panting to the floor and begs his big brother to take him out for cheeseburgers. Most nights Loki takes pity on him – it’s only when he’s in a particularly bad mood that he orders Tony to get up and get ready for another round of punishment. Those nights usually end with the two of them drunk off their asses and something on fire or destroyed beyond all hope of repair.

 

“Are you going to ask Major Rhodes to be your best man?” Loki asks without looking at Tony, breaking the younger brother out of his reflections.

 

“Getting a bit ahead of yourself aren’t you?” Tony replies with a lop-sides smile. “I think Pepper needs to actually say yes before I can start planning the wedding.”

 

“She will accept your proposal. She would be a fool to do otherwise.”

 

Tony opens his mouth to object, to point out the long list of personal defects the tabloids have repeatedly accused him of having, but holds his tongue when he notices that Loki is still not looking at him. He is deliberately looking off into the distance, acting as if this conversation doesn’t matter to him. Over the years Tony has come to learn that this usually means it _does_ matter, Loki is just too proud or too defensive to let someone know just how important the answer is to him.

 

With a weary sigh Tony works out what the issue is. Ever since his confession Loki has suffered from moments of...insecurity. Tony didn’t understand them at first, was entirely thrown when Loki would suddenly back out of an argument with him or miss a golden opportunity to insult him with a witty one-liner. He’d needed Pepper to explain that Loki was probably still unsure if he’d earned the privilege to act as the know-it-all older brother. She’d, quite rightly, told him that Loki was likely still wearing kid gloves so as not to say something that would ruin their still mending relationship. Armed with this new information, Tony had endeavoured to show Loki that he was forgiven enough to not need to pull his punches. Loki had picked up on the message easily enough and had shown Tony no quarter in their next dispute. Still, there were days when Loki would once again become self-conscious for reasons beyond Tony’s understanding. Tony guessed that this time the engagement was the trigger but he wasn’t sure why that would...

 

Tony has a light bulb moment and suddenly knows exactly what the problem is. Tony’s getting married (hopefully). He’s going to be starting a new family with Pepper. That means he won’t need his old broken family – he won’t need memories of a distant father, a struggling mother, and an imposter of an older brother. Loki’s worried that this proposal will mark the beginning of the end of their relationship.

 

Tony mentally gives himself a pat on the back for figuring that out without Pepper’s help. Then he shrugs and says, “Ok, yeah. If Pepper accepts my proposal I was thinking of asking Rhodey to be my best man.”

 

Loki nods as if this was the news he’d been expecting to hear.

 

Tony unsuccessfully fights a smile as he continues, “I was thinking that because Pepper is probably going to want you to walk her down the aisle.”

 

Loki suddenly turns to him, his expression one of surprise.

 

Tony suppresses the laugh that bubbles up in his chest at the ridiculous mixture of shock and hope on Loki’s face. “She hasn’t got any male relatives she knows well enough to ask. Being her boss (and someone she spends about as much time with as she does with me) you’re the closest thing she has to a father figure. I think she’ll want you to give her away.” Tony smirks as he adds, “Plus, I’m going to steal your assistant from you when I knock her up so it only seems fitting that you play the role of her dad and give me your blessing and all that.”

 

Pensively, Loki mutters, “You are right; in some ways she is like a daughter to me.” Then he sniffs and says, “I have changed my mind. I do not think you are good enough for my assistant.”

 

“What?” Tony stutters, dumbfounded.

 

“You are an irresponsible, uncouth, savage. Pepper can do better.”

 

 “You bastard!” Tony laughs.

 

“It is your own fault for placing such thoughts in my mind,” Loki responds, his mouth curled into a smirk.

 

Tony pouts and shoves his older brother. Loki laughs as he stumbles backwards. A mischievous gleam enters his eyes, but before the secret alien can retaliate the car arrives. Tony thanks his lucky stars and rushes towards the safety of the vehicle. Loki follows him, his smirk growing wider as he closes the door.

 

“Coward,” the older brother whispers.

 

“Knowing how to pick your battles is not cowardice,” Tony replies immediately.

 

Loki’s smirk melts into a fond smile. It is the smile he usually wears when he is reminiscing about the parts of his old life that do not incite a destructive rage or cause soul-crushing pain. Tony often wonders what exactly it is that Loki is remembering, but he has long since stopped asking. Two years ago, back when he’d wanted to know everything about Loki’s old life, he had asked and Loki had answered. The answers had always left Tony feeling a little depressed. From what Loki had told him he was able to understand (at least a little) why Loki would go to the trouble of rewriting history to escape his old life and family. For the first time in his life knowledge had done nothing to reassure Tony Stark. 

 

Loki blinks, signalling his return to the present. He plasters a wide smile onto his face and once again focuses his attention on Tony. In a blatant attempt to change the subject he says, “I may regret asking this but, now that you have the ring, how do you intend to propose to Miss Potts?”

 

Tony has no problem pretending Loki never drifted away. He settles himself into the leather embrace of the car’s upholstery and drawls, “Well, let’s just say that I intend to make it a very _explosive_ proposal.”

 

Loki buries his face in his hands and groans. “Norns have mercy on us all.”


	12. Loki

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Loki becomes an uncle.

When Loki’s private cell phone rings he doesn’t need to look to know who is calling. In fact, he doesn’t even need to answer the call to know what news the caller wishes to convey. A smile crosses his lips as he returns the documents he has been reading to their proper file and rises from behind his desk. He gathers his things (ignoring the still ringing phone in his jacket pocket) and walks out of his office. His secretary looks up as he pauses by her desk and, noticing his briefcase, beams.

 

“Shall I cancel your appointments for the rest of the afternoon Mr Stark?”

 

“That would be appreciated Miss Jones,” Loki answers cordially. “Please also inform my driver to pick me up at the usual time tomorrow. I plan on taking an alternative form of transport to the hospital.”   

 

“Yes Sir. Please pass on my congratulations to Pepper and Tony when you see them.”

 

“I will do Miss Jones,” Loki replies with a genial smile as he sets off down the corridor.

 

Minutes later Loki is on the street and able to slip inconspicuously into an alley. He scans the surrounding area for signs of life or cameras and, upon finding nothing, decides that he is safe from prying eyes. He then starts walking again and, as he walks, pictures the hospital in his mind’s eye. The golden glow of a teleportation spell surrounds him and suddenly Loki is walking down one of the hospital’s many corridors. Just ahead of him Tony stands, phone in hand, staring through a large window into a room full of tiny cots holding newborn babies. Tony turns to him upon hearing his approach and grins with a mix of manic energy and exhaustion. “It’s a girl!” he announces, arms spread wide.

 

Loki grins and takes the presented opportunity to hug his brother. “Congratulations Tony.”

 

“Thanks Loki,” Tony replies before slumping forward in his brother’s arms. “It was a rough ride but, as always, I came out on top in the end.”

 

“I hope you did not take credit for the birth in Pepper’s presence,” Loki says with a snort of amusement.

 

“Hey, I worked just as hard as Pepper to get this baby out! It wasn’t easy being woken up at two in the morning by a pregnant woman shouting ‘It’s time! It’s time!’ and then having to drive her to the hospital while she cursed and groaned in the backseat. Plus, I was the guy who got verbally abused all the way through the birth while Pepper attempted to break my hand.”

 

Loki chuckles as he steps out of the embrace. “This is why on Asgard the entirety of the birthing process is left to the women. Men are banned from stepping foot in the woman’s chamber until she has had time to compose herself and ready the child for presentation. I believe it a more civil way of doing things.”

 

“Yeah, but then you don’t get to be there to hear your kid release their first scream, or hold your wife when she collapses against you and cries in relief. You have to wait for all these strangers to hold your little girl before you do.”

 

Tony’s smile is so fond and proud that it causes something like sentiment to stir in Loki’s breast. “Am I allowed to see her?” he asks softly.

 

“Pepper’s sleeping right now and I’d strongly advise against disturbing her.”

 

Loki rolls his eyes. “I was talking about my niece.”

 

“Oh, right – yeah you can totally see Arya.” Tony gestures for Loki to follow and leads him through a door a few feet away to the room of cots. The nurse on duty smiles at them as Tony heads straight for a cot in the centre of the room adorned with a pink ribbon. The name on the chart attached to the cot is Arya Sansa Stark.

 

Loki laughs softly. “I am surprised you were able to convince Pepper to gift your daughter with such a name.”

 

“I may have told her that they’re Asgardian names and that you’d be touched if we named your niece after the heroes of your home world.” 

 

Loki hastily stifles his laugh when the duty nurse gives him a disapproving glare. “You are going to be in serious trouble when Pepper discovers you lied to her.”

 

“ _If_ she discovers I lied,” Tony corrects.

 

Shaking his head, Loki turns his attention to the slumbering babe. She is wearing a red knitted cap and yellow cardigan – products of Pepper’s latest hobby. One hand has escaped the confines of her white hospital issue blanket and is balled in a miniature fist. When she shifts her position, lost in a childish dream, it is almost as if she is shaking her fist in rage. Loki smiles and delicately caresses the tiny hand with a fingertip.

 

“Would you like to hold her?” Tony asks, once again wearing that smile that is a mixture of pride and fondness.

 

“If I may,” Loki responds demurely.  

 

Without saying a word Tony retrieves his daughter from her crib with the greatest of care. He stands there for a moment, smiling down at her as she snuffles in her sleep. He then slowly transfers her into Loki’s arms and takes half a step back. Loki stares down at the tiny pink child and marvels at the fact that such a small, fragile creature is now part of his family.

 

“If I remember correctly,” Loki muses aloud, “you were the last mortal babe I had the honour of holding. She looks just like you did all those years ago.”

 

“I hope that means she’ll grow up to be stunningly beautiful instead of ruggedly handsome.”

 

“I’m sure she will be.”

 

They stand there for a few more minutes simply staring down at the slumbering child. Then the duty nurse coughs to catch their attention and makes a motion for them to wrap it up. “I guess that means visiting hours are over,” Tony mutters as Loki delicately returns Arya to her crib. “See you later baby girl,” he whispers, placing two fingers against his lips and using them to transfer the kiss to the infant’s forehead. Tony then exits the room and Loki follows close behind, nodding respectfully to the duty nurse as he passes.

 

Out in the corridor the two men stand in silence, once again staring at Arya through the glass. Glancing to his right, Loki notices the weariness slowly creeping up on Tony, stealing his wits and ability to focus. The older brother gently places his hand on the younger’s shoulder and says, “It has been a long day for you; you should get some sleep.”

 

“I’m not tired,” Tony denies. He quickly changes his tune when this declaration is promptly followed by a hard to stifle yawn. “Alright, maybe I am, but I don’t want to rest. I feel I should be on guard while my girls are sleeping.”

 

“Trust me Tony: right now you are the last person I would select for guard duty.”

 

“Just give me some coffee and I’ll be right as rain.”

 

Loki frowns disapprovingly. “Allow me to take you home for a few hours. I will watch over our family whilst you rest.”

 

Tony opens his mouth, rethinks what he wishes to say, and smiles. “Fine, we’ll do it your way.”

 

Loki resists the urge to smirk triumphantly. “I will return for you in a few hours, or when your family awakens. When I arrive I expect to find you in bed and not in your workshop.”

 

Tony sighs but nods, accepting the elder’s terms. Loki returns the gesture and tightens his grip on Tony’s shoulder. He scans the corridor for signs of prying eyes, but they are alone. That is when Loki activates the teleportation spell and they disappear in a flash of gold.


	13. J.A.R.V.I.S.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the AI is revealed.

**JARVIS:** Designation: Loki Stark. Age: 34. Occupation: CEO of Stark Industries. Access to Workshop: Granted.

 

**JARVIS:** Designation: Sarah Arya Sansa Stark. Age: 23 months. Access to Workshop: Seek Permission.

 

JARVIS sends an alert to Sir’s phone and awaits further instructions. Sir approves admittance of Sarah Arya Sansa Stark and JARVIS does not activate the intruder protocols. Instead JARVIS silently but vigilantly continues to monitor all activity within the confines of the workshop. 

 

**Loki Stark** : Facial recognition?

 

**Sir:** That’s right. JARVIS is connected to a whole host of databases so that he can accurately determine which protocol to activate. If he doesn’t know your face he doesn’t let you in.

 

**Sarah Arya Sansa Stark:** Sometimes even if he knows you he doesn’t let you in.

 

**Sir:** That’s just you Princess. Mommy would kill Daddy if he didn’t put some safety precautions in place.

 

**Sarah Arya Sansa Stark:** I’m not a baby! I know not to put anything in my mouth or touch the pointy things!

 

**Sir:** I know that Princess; Mommy is just a worrier – I do it to make her feel better. 

 

**Loki Stark:** Yes, I am sure the precautions are _solely_ for Pepper’s benefit.

 

**Sir:** Hush you.

 

**Loki Stark:** *Laughter*

 

**Sir:** So, Loki, what do you think of JARVIS version 1.0? I’m still working on coding him a personality, but the rest of his functions are up and running. If you give a _very_ specific voice command he can do anything from analyse date to hack a system to brew an excellent cappuccino.

 

**Loki Stark:** It’s very impressive Tony, although I am dubious when you say a _very_ specific command is necessary.

 

**Sir:** It’s a minor glitch; it’ll be none existent when I give JARVIS the ability to understand what I want him to do from a single drunkenly slurred command.

 

**Loki Stark:** Do you intend to be intoxicated in your workshop often?

 

**Sir:** You’re purposefully misunderstanding my point.

 

**Loki Stark:** Me? Why ever would I do that?

 

**Sir:** Because you’re a Butt-head.

 

**Sarah Arya Sansa Stark** _: *Laughter*_ Daddy said butt.

 

**Sir:** Daddy calls them as he sees them Sweetness.

 

**Loki Stark:** Sometimes your maturity astounds me Tony.

 

**Sir:** You’re the one who started it Butt-head.

 

**Sarah Arya Sansa Stark:** _*Laughter*_ Daddy said butt again!

 

**Sir:** Butt, butt, butt, butt, butt, butt.

 

**Sarah Arya Sansa Stark:** _*Laughter*_

 

**Loki Stark:** As stimulating as this conversation is, I’m afraid I must take my leave.

 

**Sarah Arya Sansa Stark:** No! Uncle Loki don’t go!

 

**Sir:** Yeah Uncle Loki – don’t go.

 

**Loki Stark:** I have a meeting with the Board of Directors in half an hour. As much as I would love to stay I’m afraid I do not have the time.

 

**Sir:** I honestly do not envy you your job.

 

**Loki Stark:** I am well aware of that. Goodbye young Sarah.

 

  **Sarah Arya Sansa Stark:** Bye Uncle Loki. Promise you’ll come round to play again soon?

 

**Loki Stark:** I promise my dear. Goodbye Tony.

 

**Sir:** So long Loki.

 

**Loki Stark:** By the way, you’ve managed to get the voice just right.

 

**Sir:** Thanks Loki. It’s not too sentimental is it?

 

**Loki Stark:** No, I actually think it is an appropriate tribute. Jarvis’ ghost would likely have come back to haunt you if you had tried to replace him with an AI called Jeeves.

 

**Sir:** That’s what I thought too.


	14. Coulson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Coulson offers Tony the role of consultant.

“Congratulations on the birth of your son Mr Stark.”

 

“Thanks,” Stark replies as he follows Coulson’s gaze to the family photograph on his desk. “Little Rob was far more considerate than his big sister – he decided to arrive quickly at a much more reasonable time of day.”

 

Coulson offers a smile. “Thank you for meeting with me; I’m sure you’d much rather be with your family at this time.”

 

Stark shrugs. “Loki said it would be rude to ignore an agent of...”

 

“The Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division.”

 

“That’s quite a mouthful.”

 

“We’re working on it.”

 

“Good to know,” Stark says, shooting a smile across his desk. “So, Agent, what is it you wanted to discuss?”

 

“Have you ever considered working outside of the private sector Mr Stark?”

 

“No,” Stark answers as he leans back in his chair. “I’m smart enough to realise I have more creative freedom at Stark Industries than I would have anywhere that my brother wasn’t CEO. Why would I want to give that up?”

 

Coulson nods understandingly. “How about offering your services as a consultant?”

 

“Depends; what would I be consulting on?”

 

“Anything strange and otherwise unexplainable.”

 

“What, like ghosts and werewolf attacks? Alien abductions maybe?” Stark responds with a smirk.

 

“Not quite. There are many seemingly unexplainable phenomena in the universe, Mr Stark, which our agents occasionally encounter. My superiors were hoping you might be willing to offer your services in finding a logical explanation to any mysteries our own people are unable to unravel.”

 

“Sounds very Roswell to me.”

 

“I can understand your scepticism. That is why I have prepared a file of the sort of cases we would ask you to offer an opinion on.”

 

Coulson opens his briefcase and pulls out a beige folder. He slides it across the desk to Stark before closing the briefcase. Stark opens the folder and a look of interest instantly crosses his face. After a moment he closes the file. “Congratulations Agent, you’ve got me curious! You have a contract for my lawyers to analyse?”

 

“The contract will be a verbal one. I will bring you a case that our experts are struggling with and have requested an outsider’s opinion on. You will have the right to refuse the case, but if you do you will still be obligated to keep any information you have gleamed from the file confidential. If you breach confidentiality you will be prosecuted as a threat to national security. I assume you know what that means Mr Stark?”

 

“I’m guessing you kidnap me and whisk me away under the cover of darkness to somewhere without laws against torture,” Stark replies with a grin that bares too many teeth to be friendly.

 

“Something like that.” Coulson pauses before asking, “Are you still interested in the consultant position?”

 

“Of course. I’m not a stranger to danger and threats, Agent.”

 

“I understand.” Coulson stands and offers Stark his hand. “I look forward to working with you Mr Stark.”

 

“I’m sure you do, Agent,” Stark answers as he grasps the appendage with surprising strength and a smile that is shark-sharp. “Everybody _looks forward_ to working with me. The jury’s still out on how many actually enjoy it when it happens.”

 

“I’ll keep that in mind. Good day Mr Stark.”

 

Coulson swiftly exits the office and heads back to the parking lot. He has a report to make and a trial case to find that will help him confirm Stark’s motives for accepting his offer.  


	15. Pepper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Loki helped her find her soulmate and she tries to return the favour.

“Robert’s paediatrician was asking about you again this morning,” Pepper comments as nonchalantly as possible as she pushes the pram along the frozen Central Park path.

 

Beside her Loki raises an inquisitive eyebrow. “And what did you tell her Mrs Stark?”

 

“I told her that as far as I was aware you were single and open to invitations to dinner. Was I mistaken? ” Pepper asks almost challengingly.

 

With a sigh Loki answers, “No, you were not mistaken.”

 

“I’m sensing a ‘but’.”

 

The corner of her boss’ lip quirks up as he replies, “But the last time you intervened in my love life I had a glass of red wine thrown in my face.”

 

“That was your own fault for being an ass.”

 

Loki chuckles. “Are you certain that your terrible match-making skills were not the cause of a perfectly good suit being irrevocably damaged?”  

 

“Yes.”

 

Pepper can’t help but smile when this prompts another laugh from her brother-in-law. “Perhaps you are right,” he acquiesces at last. “Still, it puzzles me.”

 

“What puzzles you?”

 

“Why you are so eager for me to begin a relationship with these women,” Loki answers, his gaze probing as he meets Peppers eyes. “Is this a subtle attempt to remove me from your personal life? Have you grown weary of having me in your home Mrs Stark?”

 

“No, of course not,” Pepper denies immediately.

 

“Then why the sudden interest in finding women to court me?”

 

With a lop-sided smile Pepper replies, “I’m only returning the favour.” At Loki’s carefully blank expression she elaborates, “You’re the one who introduced me to Tony, who helped me to find a way to date him that didn’t completely jeopardise my career. You helped me find my soulmate, Loki, and now I want to do the same for you.”

 

Smiling softly Loki places one gloved hand over hers. “I appreciate the sentiment Pepper, but I do not think I am destined to find the same wedded bliss as you and my brother.”

 

“Why? I know your personality can be abrasive at times but you’re much better at censoring yourself than Tony. And it’s not like you’re ugly or...” Her eyes widen as a thought occurs to her. “Is this your way of coming out to me? Because if it is I’m sorry about-”

 

“No, Pepper, this is not my way of ‘coming out’,” Loki replies with a sparkle of mischief in his eyes.

 

“Then why don’t you think you’ll ever be married?”

 

For a long moment Loki is silent. “I have secrets that few would understand. They also make me wary of tying myself romantically to another. I already fear what will become of me when you, Tony and the children are gone – I would rather not contemplate the destruction that would result from the death of my...soulmate.”

 

Pepper tightens her grip on the pram. “Loki, are we in danger? Is there a plot against us?”

 

Loki blinks. “No, not to my knowledge,” he replies slowly.

 

“Then why are you worrying about us dying? Why do you think you’ll outlive Sarah and Robert when they’re only children?” She turns eyes full of steel and maternal concern on him and asks, “What aren’t you telling me?”

 

Loki watches her carefully for a long moment before pulling away. “I apologise Mrs Stark. I thought that was one secret Tony had already shared with you.” He turns his head away, his attention suddenly elsewhere. “I know you have questions but perhaps it is best that you wait until you are alone with your husband before demanding answers?”

 

Pepper is about to argue that, no, she has no intention of waiting for answers – when she hears Sarah shriek, “Mommy, Mommy, don’t let the snow monster eat me!”

 

Pepper’s head snaps in the direction of her child, her heart racing with sudden panic. Then she spots Tony, his shoulders and hair covered in a thick blanket of snow, chasing their daughter towards her. The mix of relief and annoyance she feels is a familiar combination most often experienced whenever she leaves her children alone with their father. 

 

Laughing, Loki moves in to intercept the charging child. He sweeps her off her feet and spins her until she squeals for him to stop. With a sharp-toothed grin Loki does as he is commanded. However, instead of returning her to the ground he offers her up to the snow monster, causing her to once again scream in a mix of delight and mock-terror.

 

As much as Pepper wants to be angry at the two brothers for keeping her in the dark, in that moment she struggles to find the necessary fire to stoke her righteous fury. All she can manage is a half-hearted glare when Tony presses his frozen lips to hers before turning his attention to the pram and their son. The way he looks at Robert with such naked affection – Pepper can’t bring herself to ruin this family outing with an interrogation.

 

With a sigh and a smile she wraps her arms around Tony from behind. Glancing to the side, she catches Loki watching her warily. ‘ _Later,_ ’ she mouths. Loki nods and offers her a thankful smile before returning his attention to his giddy niece.

 

For a long moment Pepper simply stands and watches the two of them. Loki is her boss, her brother-in-law, her friend and confidant, the man who gave her away at her wedding, and the godfather of her children. Their lives have been entwined from the moment they met, and up until today she would have said that there was nothing but absolute trust between them. Clearly she was mistaken or it would not have taken so long for him to broach the topic of whatever deep dark secret he possesses. Still, he had promised her answers. It will only be a few short hours she will know exactly what it is Loki has felt the need to conceal from her.

 

“You alright Sweetie?” Tony asks, one gloved hand gently squeezing her arm.

  

“I’m fine,” Pepper replies as she presses her face between his shoulder-blades.

 

_For now._


	16. Fury

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which information about the Ten Rings magically appears in his office.

After the scientists and bomb-disposal units have looked over the package it is returned to Fury’s desk. Standing with his back against the wall he glares at the innocuous-looking box and contemplates how the hell somebody managed to sneak it into his office without anyone noticing. They’re supposed to have one of the best security systems in the world so how the hell had this been allowed to happen? Somebody was going to pay dearly for this screw-up, doubly so if what was in that box was anything less than a goldmine of counterintelligence.

 

When after ten minutes his detached scrutiny reveals nothing about the package, Fury warily approaches the box. He puts on a pair of latex gloves and slowly removes the lid. Inside is a thick, poison green folder. Gently, Fury slips his fingers beneath the folder and removes it from the box. He places it on the desk, on a length of cloth that the techs say is excellent for preserving particulates or some other CSI crap.

 

Fury takes one more moment to simply glare at the folder. Then he takes a deep breath and opens the damn thing.

 

_TEN RINGS INTELLIGENCE REPORT_

Something that vaguely resembles excitement flutters in Fury’s breast. He starts to flick through the report, his eyes searching for reliable sources he can confer with. He recognises the names of at least two agents who are supposed to be so deep undercover that not even their own mothers would recognise them if they met. How they would be able to give this information without blowing their covers... Then there’s information he already knows, but this report is telling him how it relates to operations that are still whispers; it’s finding links his best analysts missed. It’s also predicting attacks years in the future with data that shouldn’t exist, and how that’s possible he doesn’t even know.

 

Fury closes the folder and takes another deep breath. He then reaches for his phone and calls Coulson.

 

“I want everyone not on assignment to be at The Hub tomorrow 9am sharp. I have a shit-ton of intelligence that I need verifying ASAP, and after that I want to know who compiled it and how they got it past security without being noticed.”

 

“Understood Sir.”

 

Fury hangs up and returns to glaring at the report.

 

Nobody could say this job wasn’t full of surprises.  

 


	17. Pepper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Tony and Pepper discuss teaching the children magic

Virginia ‘Pepper’ Stark considers herself to be a very tolerant woman. Bearing in mind the amount of crap she has to put up with not just from her family and workmates but also from the press and those interested in doing business with Stark Industries (who are convinced she slept her way to the top and is nothing but a trophy wife/assistant) she would even go so far as to describe herself as having the patience of a saint. However, there are some days when good humour fails even her.

 

“No,” she says with an air of absolute finality.

 

“Oh come on Pepper,” Tony begs. “I don’t see what the problem is – I was their age when I started learning magic.”

 

“No,” Pepper repeats with an icy glare.

 

“It’ll be good for them! It’ll teach them discipline and how to defend themselves and-”

 

“A martial art course would do that just as well.”

 

“Oh they’ll be receiving combat training as well – I found it really helpful when I was learning-”

 

“Tony,” Pepper snaps before forcing herself to take a slow, calming breath. “I know this might be difficult for you to understand, but not everyone is comfortable with the idea that magic exists. It was hard enough for me to come to terms with the fact that my boss is an alien from another time. The thought of my children learning magic – to me it’s just one more thing that might go wrong that I need to worry about.”

 

Gently, Tony takes her hands and offers her a small smile. “Pepper, Honey, Loki won’t be teaching them to levitate cars with their minds or liquefy organs with a thought. Not that he knows how to do that or anything,” he adds hurriedly when Pepper’s jaw drops. “He’ll be teaching them the basics. There’ll be lots of magical theory at first, then some basic elemental manipulation, and a lot of defence magic. Quite a bit of it is just short of being science: if it makes you feel better you could just imagine that he’s teaching them fringe science instead of magic.” With a reassuring squeeze he finishes, “Trust me Pepper. Loki knows what he’s doing and he would never ever do anything that might hurt his favourite niece and nephew.”

 

Pepper sighs. “I just want our children to be normal Tony. I want them to grow up happy and normal and non-magical.”

 

“Normal is overrated.”

 

The statement forces a brief snort of amusement from Pepper. Clearly taking this as a positive sign, Tony dives back in with:

 

“You know I’m right. If you’d really wanted a normal family you’d never have gotten involved with me. You’d have married someone steady and dependable and not a hot mess. As it is you vowed to love and cherish _me_ – and all the magical baggage I bring with me.”

 

Pepper attempts a glare. “You’re the only one who thinks that was part of our marriage vows.”

 

“It was in the fine print; it’s not my fault you decided to take the contract at face value.” He squeezes her hands again. “Come on Pepper. Magic for me is like Math for normal people – you learn it but you rarely end up using it. I’m glad I learnt it though because it reassures me that if I ever end up in a sticky situation I’ll be able to hold my own. I also want the kids to learn it for just that reason – it’ll reassure me that they’ll be able to defend themselves if someone comes for them. When I was young people tried to use me to get to Howard, and for me Loki’s lessons were just as useful as the course I took on how to avoid being kidnapped. There’s every possibility that someone will try to use the kids to get to me or Loki and I want to give them the same fighting chance I had.” By this point the puppy-dog eyes are out in full force. “I know you don’t like magic but I’m hoping you’ll make an exception for our children. You can talk the curriculum over with Loki and veto anything that you’re really not comfortable with, but come on Pepper! I know you and I know it’s only a matter of time before you admit I’m right – before you realise that this really is in our kids’ best interests.”

 

Pepper glares at him, but it is half-hearted at best. Tony has constructed his argument well. He knows that, like most parents, she is willing to sacrifice her principles for the safety and well-being of her children. As much as she would like to argue that magic is dangerous and will only estrange her children from their peers, she knows her argument is weak. Taking a bus is dangerous, crossing the street is dangerous, eating nuts for the first time is dangerous – life is dangerous. According to Loki magic is only dangerous if you are careless or attempt it without proper training. He’d promised to ensure that her children respected magic and used it sparingly. Like Tony he’d used the argument that when the bad guys came it was better to know magic and have the choice of how to defend yourself than to not have the choice. And as for magic estranging the children from their peers – the truth is that they are already estranged. Both Sarah and Robert have inherited their father’s genius and lack of modesty when it comes to demonstrating it. More than once Pepper has been called into Sarah’s school because her daughter has been caught fighting with those she has humiliated by being too clever for her own good. Pepper worries that if Sarah learns magic it will be one more thing for her to show off, to get her into trouble. Tony telling her that Sarah will listen if they tell her it’s a secret does not belie that fear. Loki informing her that he won’t teach her any practical magic until he is certain she is mature enough not to advertise her abilities is slightly more reassuring. Still, it is a concern that one conversation with Tony will not banish. It weakens her resolve, but it certainly does not convert her to Tony’s side.

 

“What about side-effects? How do you know there won’t be any negative consequences for humans using magic?”

 

“Magic is just energy Pepper. If you have a proper grounding and know the limits of human biology then there won’t be any unexpected side effects – at least not for the stuff Loki teaches. He keeps all the high level spells to himself because humans aren’t designed to handle that much energy conversion at once. In other words: Loki knows what he’s doing and you should trust him.”

 

“Do you have an answer for everything?” Pepper huffs somewhat childishly.

 

Tony grins. “It’s me, of course I do.”

 

Pepper laughs lightly and leans into her husband. When Tony wraps his arms around her she closes her eyes, savouring his warmth. There are other lines of argument she could pursue, but the fire of conviction inside her has dwindled. Tony is being far too reasonable for her to get as mad as she needs to be to continue their fight. She no longer has the heart to put her foot down and proclaim this a magic-free household. That doesn’t mean she’s ready to surrender though.

 

“You and Loki will be honest about what you’re teaching my children? And if I veto a magic trick you’ll both respect my wishes and take it off the curriculum?”

 

“Yes, of course.”

 

Pepper sighs resignedly into Tony’s shoulder. “Give me a week to think about it.”

 

Tony’s arms around her tighten as a kiss is pressed into her hair. “That’s my girl.”


	18. Odin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Loki’s premonitions become clear

The Bifrost shatters under Thor’s hammer, his son falls into the Void, and at last Odin sees exactly what the Loki of Midgard has been running from for all these years. He sees pain and desperation and madness and the death of a boy he once knew. A boy his words and actions have slain.

 

He watches helplessly from the prison of the Odinsleep as all the lies are stripped away until only the raw truth remains. And when the time comes, when he is presented with the opportunity to save Loki, he instead speaks the words he knows will seal the prince’s fate.

 

_“No Loki.”_

 

Everyone assumes Loki is dead. They do not believe anyone could survive the Void, no matter how powerful their magic. Only Odin and Heimdall know the truth: Loki is alive and well somewhere in the Universe. Where in the universe he came to rest they cannot tell. Only the Loki of Midgard can answer that question and Odin doubts that he would speak even if they could contact him. Loki neither trusts nor forgives him his actions – their previous interactions have told Odin that much. The Allfather is under no illusion that Loki has only tolerated him thus far to prevent suspicion, to prevent him from striking down Loki of Asgard before his time. Now that there are no more secrets, no delicate future to protect, Loki will undoubtedly ignore him unless he has need of him. What this haunted and scarred version of his son might need him for is not something Odin wishes to dwell on. Which in turn leads Odin to the choice he must make: does he allow the man to fade into obscurity or does he clandestinely order the assassination of a traitor?

 

As king and protector of the Nine Realms Odin knows what he ought to do. But as a father, as a husband, as a man who regrets the callous calculation behind many of his past decisions – it galls him that he has once again been forced into a position where such a choice is necessary. As much as he would like to welcome Loki home with open arms he knows he cannot. Neither his people nor Loki would accept such leniency – there would be whispers of nepotism from one and hostile suspicion from the other. He could always force Loki to stand trial, but knowing Loki he would spin a web of words which would set him free; Odin can already imagine him claiming he was on Midgard at the time of the attack on Jotunheim so cannot be held responsible for the crime. Such a trial would be messy, unpredictable, and would undoubtedly break Frigga’s heart. That is why Odin must handle the situation quietly, why he cannot seek counsel from anyone but Heimdall on the matter of whether or not Loki must be assassinated for the good of Asgard.

 

On the one hand, Loki of Midgard has done nothing over the last forty years to indicate that he is an enemy of Asgard; on the other Loki is cunning and, armed with knowledge of the future, could easily have manipulated events so that Odin would never suspect his sinister intentions. A cautious man would strike Loki down to eliminate the chance of him ever becoming a threat. A wise man realises that if the assassin’s blade misses its target then he will make an enemy of what might have been a neutral party.

 

The mortals have a saying: ‘ _Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown’._ For all their flaws, Odin is willing to admit that the humans are rather adept at creating apt axioms. Right now this particular phrase haunts Odin whenever he lays his head down to rest. What is the right decision? What is the most _prudent_ decision? Should he send for his best assassin or allow his son to live out the rest of his days on Midgard? Whatever his decision, he is perversely reassured that no action can truly be undertaken until the Bifrost is mended. Only when the bridge between worlds is repaired must a final decision be made; until then there is nothing he can do but wait and consider his options.

 

Sometimes waiting is not the worst part.


	19. Loki

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Loki has a conversation with himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be warned, this chapter is quite dark as it deals with what happens after Loki goes off the Bifrost and how Loki Stark decides to keep him away from Earth.

When he finally stops falling through the vast emptiness of space Loki crashes face-first into foreign soil. For a moment he doesn’t notice the pain; he’s too busy revelling in the sensation of something solid beneath his fingers to register anything but overwhelming relief. He’s alive – he survived the Void. He has done something everyone thought impossible; he has spat in the eye of his doubters and, now that the nightmare is over, he is free to exact his revenge on all those that contributed to his downfall. Thor, his _friends_ , Heimdall, Odin, humanity – all will burn or bow for their part in his humiliation, for this test of his sanity. None shall receive mercy from Loki, the rightful king of Asgard.

 

At last Loki gains enough strength to raise his head and sees...nothing. Nothing but darkness – he has crash-landed on a planet that is little better than the Hel he has just left.

 

For a moment the over-whelming despair that caused him to let go of his old life on Asgard returns. His whole body shakes as tears streak his cheeks. He is alone in an unknown corner of the universe without allies or any sense of direction. He is a relic of the past that has been discarded now that it is no longer useful. He is pathetic, useless, unloved, _alone._ He is Loki and he is alone.

 

Later, when his tears are dry, when his despair has turned into hate and the desperate need to survive – Loki stands and begins the long trudge through the darkness. He walks for hours (or maybe just minutes, it’s hard to tell when you’re blind and disorientated) until suddenly he steps out of the impenetrable night. Loki hisses and covers his eyes, unaccustomed to light of any kind. Slowly, he lowers his arm and takes a first look at his surroundings. Humanoid creatures gawk at him with distended mouths and lolling tongues. Some retreat fearfully into their dirty hovels as he takes a step forward, others maintain their ground. He turns to the nearest and demands, “Where am I?”

 

“The Planet of the Black Cloud,” the thing replies, its eyes staring past Loki at something just over his shoulder.

 

Loki turns and is horrified to see that the horizon is darkness – an all-consuming cloud of black. With a visible shudder he turns back to the creature and growls, “I require water and nourishment.” The thing stares blankly for a moment before dropping to all-fours and bounding towards the hovels with a commanding cry. Loki watches the others scramble to obey and smiles. The warm satisfaction of exercising his authority washes through him and for a moment he allows himself to relax. Then he sees what the creatures are bringing him to sate his hunger and he remembers why satisfaction is not in his nature.

***

After two days of eating slop Loki allows himself to be captured by raiders. As soon as they reach a planet which appears somewhat civilised he escapes before he can be sold as a slave. He steals food and water from the bustling market by the port and finds a quiet place to consume his prize. He has to fight off urchins pleading for a crust or willing to kill him for the lot, but eventually his stomach ceases to cry out for sustenance. At that point he heads for an inn where he will be able to rest his head without fear of his throat being slit as he slumbers. He steals a coin purse on his way and has to fight off two gangs of ruffians in order to retain hold of it. Neither group offers him any decent information in regards to his whereabouts, nor do they recognise him when he tells them he is Loki of Asgard. They are all ignorant commoners, unimpressed by him and his title until his knives are soaked in the sickly green blood of their comrades. Then they flee, or beg, or try to placate him with knowledge. He lets those who are fleet of foot live so that they might spread word that Loki of Asgard is not to be trifled with; the rest he kills on principle. He does not want anyone to follow him to his place of rest.

 

The innkeeper accepts his coin without question and Loki sleeps for a day to regain his strength. When he is recovered he returns to the port in search of a vessel which might take him to a known world. When he finds none he slips unseen onto a passenger vessel that takes him to another planet full of dirty, sprawling cities infested with lowlifes and cutthroats. Loki does what he must to survive, to gain transport to the next world and its possibilities of a way home.

 

One long month later Loki is still searching for his golden ticket. This planet is too warm for his liking and instead of renting a bed for the night he has chosen a quiet corner of scrubland to spend the night. He is stripped to the waist in the hope that a cool breeze will ease the burn of his flesh, but so far he has had no relief from the humid night. Sleep eludes him and has made him more than a little irritable.

 

The rustle of movement has Loki on his feet in an instant. He creates a flame in one hand and brandishes a dagger in the other. He looks around for any sign of the interloper and sees...himself. He’s dressed in the casual denim trousers of Midgard and a loose white shirt not yet beaded with perspiration. Loki’s doppelganger smiles and says, “I’ve been waiting for you to arrive.”

 

“What are you?”

 

“I’m you from the future...an alternate future. I’m here to bring glad tidings; I’m here to tell you exactly how you might wreak your vengeance upon Thor and Odin and all the rest who would not bow before your greatness.”

 

Loki studies the doppelganger carefully. All the hallmarks of sincerity are there – all the little confidence tricks he would use to appear genuine. And, as much as he would like to believe that this other Loki has come from the future to help him, he knows better.

 

“Two identical people cannot exist in the same time and location. If you are here it means you’ve come to kill me whilst I’m weak and before I reach Midgard.”

 

The smile drops from the other Loki’s lips. He sighs. “I should have known I would see through my own lies. So much for a quick death in ignorance.” He meets Loki’s eyes and says with real sincerity. “I’m sorry, but I must do this. If you go to Earth you will destroy everything I have worked so hard to create, and that is something I simply cannot allow.”

 

Loki sneers. “I am not as weak as I might appear.”

 

“No, but I have learned much since my year of living hand-to-mouth in search of familiarity and salvation.” A pause. “I also had the advantage of knowing exactly where you would choose to sleep.”

 

There’s a golden glow and suddenly Loki’s arms are pressed to his sides as thick bands of magic encircle him. He struggles but can’t break free – he can’t even fall to the ground. He drops his dagger and the light of his flame goes out. Panic washes over him as he frantically searches for a spell that will break this curse.

 

The cool blade of a knife is pressed against Loki’s abdomen and he stops moving. He holds his breath as the other Loki calmly walks behind him and drags the blade over his chest and rests it over his jugular. For a moment neither of them speaks. Then Loki’s doppelganger, his voice choked with sorrow, whispers, “I’m sorry,” and with one unwavering movement slits his throat.

 

Loki registers the pain, registers the binding magic release him, registers Heimdall and Odin watching his lifeblood spray out into the darkness. He registers the other Loki disappearing back to whence he came. Then Loki of Asgard is no more. 


	20. A note on time travel and motives

 

In this fic I’m not using the Harry Potter theory of time travel. In HP you go back in time because you were supposed to, and events happen because you were there. Instead, in this fic I’m subscribing to the Dragon Ball Z theory of time travel, which is that when you go back in time you in effect create an alternate timeline. When someone from timeline A goes back in time and changes something they don’t alter their own history but create a new timeline, timeline B. So Loki Stark, who is from timeline A, could theoretically have sent Loki of Asgard to timeline A where nobody would be surprised that he was mad and blowing all the shit up. But that would have involved time and effort for putting that sort of spell together, and when Loki Stark did the calculation he decided that Loki of Asgard dying was more beneficial to him than simply removing him from the equation. Killing him was a symbolic gesture to Odin as much as anything. In chapter 18 Odin was considering killing Loki to make sure he didn’t become a threat – this is Loki making sure Odin is watching and then saying, “This is not me. I am officially distancing myself from what Loki of Asgard did and all that he wanted to do.” His hope is that Odin will take note and put any assassination plans on hold until he knows more about this new Loki and his plans.

Also Loki knows himself. He knows he’d only change if he wanted to, and Loki of Asgard is as far from wanting to change as you can be. So he either had to restrain or kill him in order to protect Earth. He didn’t think he could restrain him for long, and he didn’t want him loose because Loki is chaos and anything could happen if he was free. So he picked the unsavoury but necessary option. And Loki is still very good at compartmentalising so he was able to save himself a lot of the psychic pain that comes with killing yourself. 

I hope that cleared some things up. I’m aware that because I’m writing short snippets in different POVs some things can slip through the cracks, so if there are any further questions feel free to ask. Next chapter should be Fury vs. the Council regarding their excellent decision making.

 


	21. Fury

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Loki proves he has the World Security Council under his thumb.

“I’m sorry Councillor, I appear to have misheard you,” Fury says with as much false politeness as he can muster. “For a second there I thought you were ordering me to hand the Tesseract over to Stark Industries.”

 

The shadowy silhouettes of the four World Security Council members shift uneasily. “You did not mishear me Director Fury,” the councilman on the far left responds after a long moment of suspicious silence.

 

“May I enquire as to why the Council has suddenly decided to hand over an object of unlimited potential that, if I recall correctly, I was ordered to divert the lion’s share of SHIELD’s resources to investigating not that long ago?”

 

“Your job is to obey orders, not question them,” snaps the councilman on the far right.

 

Fury pins the man’s shadow with the full force of his disapproving gaze. “I think, Councillor, that you and I have very different ideas about what is and is not part of the job description for the director of SHIELD.”

 

Before the man can reply his colleague interjects, “Please understand Director Fury: this is a unanimous Council decision. We are well aware of the risks involved in including an outside party in this matter-”

 

“Then why do it?”

 

Another awkward pause.

 

“As I’m sure you’re well aware Director,” the lone councilwoman begins delicately, “the Starks and SHIELD have a great deal of shared history.”

 

“I served under Howard Stark; so yes, I am well aware of the role _he_ played in SHIELD’s creation,” Fury responds calmly.

 

“In recent years you have also used his son-”

 

“As a consultant.”

 

“Yes, as a consultant,” the councilwoman continues, starting to sound aggravated. “Surely, then, you can see the logic of using Stark Industries and its well-publicised resources to further investigate the powers of the Tesseract?”

 

“Oh, I see the logic – but it’s not the logic of the situation I’m questioning. It’s the sudden 180 of the Council’s priorities that leads me to suspect that something fishy is going on here.”

 

More silent tensing of the assembled Council.

 

The councilman on the far left sighs. “Loki Stark has approached the Council with a proposition.”

 

The councilman on the far right snorts derisively. “More like an ultimatum.”

 

Fury raises an intrigued eyebrow. “Go on.”

 

“Mr Stark has somehow managed to gather some...unpleasant intelligence regarding SHIELD and the Council itself. He has threatened to make this information public if his father’s property is not returned to him.”

 

“His father’s property?” Fury repeats, incredulous.

 

“It was Howard Stark who found the Tesseract when searching for Steve Rogers; apparently that entitles him to some claim over it.”

 

“Finders keepers,” mutters Fury thoughtfully.

 

“Yes,” responds the councilwoman tersely. “The Council has debated the matter at length and decided that we are not completely adverse to the situation. If Mr Stark can find a way to utilise the Tesseract’s potential that can only benefit us. As we speak a contract is being drawn up which will obligate Stark Industries to provide SHIELD with weapons developed from its work with the Tesseract.”

 

“I hope the Council is aware of how much potential there is for this to blow up in our faces? Giving Loki Stark all that power on top of what he already possesses-”

 

“We are not fools Director; we know exactly what sort of message we are sending by submitting to his demands. Nevertheless, the Council has made its decision and it is your duty to carry out your orders.”

 

Fury takes a moment to study each shadow in turn before asking, “What does he have on you?”

 

That incriminating silence again. Whatever dirt Loki has managed to dig up it must be big and must apply to all of them. Or maybe it’s a lot of little secrets for each member? Perhaps Loki approached them claiming to know about every rule they’ve ever bent or broken – maybe he teased at details of misdeeds they thought long since buried. If so then the CEO must have been planning this for a long time.

 

Another possibility occurs to Fury: did Loki use his brother’s role as a consultant to gain information neither of them should have been privy to? Fury will have to ask Coulson to investigate, and then find someone to investigate Coulson in turn. As much as Fury likes and trusts Coulson, he wouldn’t put it past him to change sides. In Fury’s world nobody is beyond scrutiny – and if Coulson has intentionally or unintentionally handed either Stark brother information that puts this agency at risk he will need to be severely reprimanded. 

 

Eventually the councilman on the far right finds his tongue. “That is none of your business Fury.”

 

“My colleague is correct Director,” adds the councilwoman. “The only matter you should be concerning yourself with right now should be how you plan on having the Tesseract and related paraphernalia ready for transport by tomorrow afternoon. Mr Stark expects to have these items in his possession by the end of the week and you are not to disappoint.”

 

Fury silently studies the assembled Council for a long, long minute. When at last the tension reaches breaking-point he says, “Understood Councillor.”

 

The situation defused, the Council lets out a collected sigh of relief. Or they would if they weren’t old pros at maintaining their poker faces during a crisis.

 

“If the Council has nothing to add I’ll go tell the scientists to put away their toys and start looking up new marvels of the universe to study,” Fury comments dryly.

 

“Why the long face Director?” sneers the Councilman on the right. “I’d have thought you’d be happy: now you’ll have all the funding you want for your little freaks and myths project.”

 

Fury bares his teeth in parody of a smile, but doesn’t rise to the bait. The truth is that if this news had come a few months ago he would indeed have been happy that the Council had finally seen the merit in the Avengers Initiative. Now though? Now all he can do is wonder if the loss of the Tesseract and the opportunity to build a proper response team has anything to do with the alien smack down which occurred not that long ago in a small town in New Mexico.

 

Perhaps it’s about time he sent the Black Widow in to investigate Stark Industries and its enigmatic CEO.


	22. Rhodey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Tony presents Rhodey with a gift of epic proportions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took forever to post but I've had killer writer's block for the last few months. Plus I reread the last chapter after watching Winter Soldier and it gave me all sorts of new ideas about what Loki told the Council to make them hand over the Tesseract. I _might_ just have to find a way to incorporate those ideas into this series.
> 
> I'm also experiencing a few technical problems with AO3, so fingers crosses nothing has been lost in posting.

As a general rule Tony Stark is a terrible gift-giver. Apparently being a genius and a billionaire does not automatically endow a person with _taste_. Rhodey learnt this early on in his friendship with Tony when he was presented with a Christmas present that was clearly expensive, but garish nonetheless. Like any good friend Rhodey had asked what Tony had been smoking when he’d ordered it. Tony had been offended for all of two minutes; then he’d opened the novelty gift Rhodey had bought last minute and proceeded to laugh his ass off. Since then it had become tradition that their Christmas presents to each other would be the cheesiest, ugliest piece of tat they could find. Birthdays were only safe because either Loki or Pepper remembered and were willing to buy something on Tony’s behalf. Apart from that they didn’t really give gifts, which is why Rhodey is more than a little sceptical when Tony informs him he has a present for him in his workshop. Scepticism dissolves quickly into wonder when Tony pulls back the dustsheet and shouts, “Ta-da!”

 

“Tony, what is that?”

 

Tony grins, exceedingly pleased with himself. “This is your surprise gift Colonel Rhodes. It’s a combat-ready flight-capable suit coded to your DNA. It uses the Repulsor Technology I just invented along with firearms, missiles, and other goodies I’ll let you discover on your own. I call it _War Machine_.”

 

Slowly, Rhodey begins to circle the machine. Sleek black and silver metal panels, glowing red eyes that match the circle of illuminated crimson in the centre of the suit’s breastplate, creases that hint at hidden weapon storage... It takes a great deal of effort for Rhodey to keep his expression neutral as he examines what is undoubtedly going to be a game-changer for Stark Industries and the US military.

 

“Why are you showing me this in your basement instead of at Stark Industries?”

 

“Because this is for you, not the military.”

 

Rhodey stops and turns to face Tony. “What do you mean it’s not for the military?”

 

Crossing his arms over his chest, Tony gives him a look that basically translates into: _stop playing dumb, you know what I mean_. “What I mean is that I named it after an _AC/DC_ song. I didn’t design it as a weapon America, or any other nation, might use to corral other countries into bowing at their feet. I designed it so that a man, a good man, would have the power to save the world; so that he could use his good judgement to decide which were the fights worth fighting. I designed it for you, Rhodey, because you’re one of the straightest shooters I’ve ever met who wasn’t also a patronising asshole.”

 

Rhodey takes a moment to soak up that rare praise from Tony Stark. Then he shakes his head and says, “I can’t accept this.”

 

Tony frowns. “Why not?”

 

“I’m a military man Tony. I’m not a lone wolf searching for a way out of his pack. If I accept this I’m setting myself apart from my brothers in arms. I can’t do that.”

 

“If you’re worried about being ostracised then don’t tell the military about the suit.”

 

“And then go into a war zone as an unidentified combatant? Do you _want_ them to shoot me down?”

 

“Huh. I didn’t think of that.”

 

“Of course you didn’t. Just because you work extensively with the military doesn’t mean you think like one of us.” Rhodey sighs. “Look, Tony, I appreciated the thought; but if you’re going to make a weapon like this you need to make it so that anyone in the military can use it-”

 

“But I don’t want just anyone using it. I don’t trust other people not to let the power go to their heads and abuse my technology,” Tony interrupts, suddenly deadly serious.

 

It takes Rhodey awhile to digest that statement. “Where is this coming from Tony? You’ve been designing weapons for years; why are you suddenly so concerned about people abusing your creations?”

 

“This isn’t a sudden concern Rhodey. It’s something that’s been preying on my mind for a long time – since I became a father and had to really start thinking about how my actions affected someone else, in fact. You remember how long it took for me to finally decide on a preschool for Sarah? Part of my indecision was due to the fact that when walking around those places I was painfully aware of how easy it would be for some lunatic with a gun – a gun produced and sold by Stark Industries – to get in there and hurt my little princess. Over the years I’ve watched news reports about the wars we fight and the wars other people fight with weapons supplied by my company and wondered if I’m doing the world a disservice by supplying it with bigger and better tools for mass slaughter. This concern is anything but new Rhodey.”

 

“Okay,” Rhodey soothes. “Okay, so the concern isn’t new. I get that. But something must have triggered you acting on it.”

 

The smile Tony gives him is full of dark amusement. With a flick of his wrist a series of images are projected around the workshop. He recognises the face of Captain America – the hero of his childhood and one of the reasons he signed up for the military in the first place. The lower half of the Captain’s body is encased in a block of ice, and the head and torso appear to have only just been released from a similar state. Next to the image is the first page of Captain America’s SHIELD file, updated a week ago, describing his status as ACTIVE. The next projection is of the Hulk (the rogue science experiment) and its buddy that destroyed half of Harlem not that long ago. Beside that is an image of a towering suit of silver armour, its faceplate drawn back to reveal what Rhodey can only describe as Hellfire. Next is a picture of a man in a cape with a ridiculously proportioned hammer. He’s surrounded by lightning and doesn’t appear to be the least bit concerned. The final image is of the same guy apparently flying through the heart of a tornado, his hammer guiding the way.

 

“The world is changing Rhodey. Myths, monsters, aliens: before long it’s going to become painfully clear to all of us that we are not alone. And when it does? People are going to need heroes they can rely on; that they can _believe in_. This suit is a hero-maker. Hero-enabler. I’m well-aware a hero is a little bit more than a flashy bit of tech.”

 

Rhodey’s eyes return to Captain America’s SHIELD file. “Something tells me you didn’t come across this information legally.”

 

Tony grins. “SHIELD should know that I can’t do my job as consultant properly unless I have _all_ of their information at my disposal.”  

 

Fighting a smirk at the typical Tony response, Rhodey asks, “So, what? You want me to give up my job with the military? Become a caped-crusader and fight bad guys and have action figures made in my image?”

 

“Not quite. You can stay with the military; you can even use the suit to help further a US military campaign. Just... question your orders. When things get weird make sure you’re fighting because it’s the right thing to do and not just because the people at the top are afraid. Like I said, times are changing – and you might need to disobey an order or two. But what I’m really asking is: are you ready to fight a battle like nothing you were ever trained for? To be an inspiration and a champion of the people when things get dark and the world needs a hero? Are you ready to step up and embrace your destiny?”

 

“Are you ready, young Jedi, to accept the power of the Force?”

 

They share a look that conveys both amusement and an acknowledgement that this is a weird conversation that neither of them ever thought they’d have with anyone. It’s not that Rhodey’s never dreamed of being a superhero - as a kid he use to don a cape and mask and run around the house fighting imaginary bad guys on a regular basis – but he rid himself of that fantasy years ago. Having Tony tell him that he gave up on his dream too soon is just a little disconcerting and hard to swallow.

 

That doesn’t mean he doesn’t want it though.

 

Rhodey attempts to casually return to examining the armour. “With your ego I’m surprised you’ve not made your own suit.”

 

“Who’s to say I haven’t?”

 

“And Pepper is ok with that?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Rhodey sends him a sceptical glance.

 

“She is! After I gave her the whole ‘the world is changing’ speech she said I should do what I have to do to keep our family safe.”

 

“I’m sensing a ‘but’.”

 

“No ‘but’ – she said she was cool with the whole thing; she even said I could build suits for her and the kids! Ones without weapons, obviously, because we don’t want our kids to turn into child soldiers; we just want them to be safe if there ever was an alien invasion.”

 

“Wait,” Rhodey interrupts, shaken out of his scepticism by this new revelation. “You’ve built suits for your kids?”

 

“Building, not built. The kids keep growing and throwing off my calculations.”

 

“That’s what kids do Tony – they grow,” Rhodey can’t resist quipping even as he continues to reel. “Are you sure Pepper agreed to this? Are you sure you didn’t just misinterpret something she said?”

 

Tony rolls his eyes. “Yes Colonel, I’m sure she agreed to this. Why are you having such a hard time believing me?”

 

“Well, the Valentine’s Day fiasco of ’98...”

 

“I thought we agreed never to speak of that again.”

 

Rhodey shakes his head, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Sorry. It’s just that I’ve known Pepper almost as long as you have and agreeing to let you build what sound like machines of mass destruction for her babies just sounds a little too out-of-character to be believable.”

 

“Never underestimate a mother’s instinct to protect her children. It wouldn’t be the first time Pepper’s compromised her principles to keep the kids safe.”

 

Rhodey sends Tony a quizzical look. He knows that Tony and Pepper don’t always see eye-to-eye about things, but he’d thought that in regards to the safety of their children they were on the same paragraph of the same page. Any compromises in that department are news to him and he’s more than a little curious as to what they are.

 

Tony catches the look and suddenly grins – bright and distracting and full of showmanship. “Will it set your mind at ease that Pepper hasn’t been turned into a Stepford Wife to know that she also said that the second she suspects I’m shirking my responsibilities as a good husband/father/employee to play with my toys she’ll personally take a blowtorch to the suits?”

 

A snort of amusement escapes Rhodey at that. “That sounds more like Pepper.”

 

Tony continues to grin. “So, now that I’ve set your world back on its axis, am I going to get an answer? About the suit and whether you think you can handle the responsibility?”

 

Rhodey isn’t so dumb that he misses Tony’s side-stepping of the topic of Pepper’s compromised principles. It’s something to ask Pepper about at a later date, if he ever feels the desire to probe the matter further. Which he probably won’t in all honestly. He’s not interested in Tony’s domestic problems unless they affect him or the free world; which they might one day do if Tony’s suits are really as powerful as he claims they are. A frightening thought, and one he’s not really interested in dealing with right now when the ability to fulfil a childhood dream is right in front of him.

 

Finally, after a few more seconds of dramatic consideration, Rhodey gives a decisive nod. “Alright, I’m in.”

 

With a look of mixed relief and excitement Tony steps forward to shake his hand. “Congratulations Colonel Rhodes, you are now officially the proud owner of a Tony Stark Original. Treat her well, use her only in the pursuit of justice etc, and promise me you’ll never ever change her name or colour-scheme.” Rhodey starts to frown, wondering where that last term came from, when a thought strikes Tony. “Oh, and SHIELD might think you belong to them, but give me a few weeks and I’ll have that misunderstanding cleared right up.”

 

“Tony,” Rhodey says, suddenly remembering that this wouldn’t be the first time his supposed friend left a minor but important detail out of his sales pitch; a terrible habit he gets from his brother.

 

Tony continues to clasp Rhodey’s hand and smile his showman’s smile as he says, “Trust me Rhodey; you won’t regret this.”

 

Rhodey thinks he already does.


	23. Bruce

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Bruce Banner receives the oddest phonecall of his life so far.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to thank everyone still reading this for their patience. It's been a rough year but I'm hoping to get back into writing and finish this series. Hopefully there won't be as long a break between chapters from now on.
> 
> Also it's been awhile since I watched the Incredible Hulk movie so my characterisation might not be perfect but I struggled to find a better way to write this chapter.

“Excuse me Sir, are you Dr Bruce Banner?”

Bruce stills, his heart-rate briefly sky-rocketing as he turns towards the man who has clearly been waiting for him. He's dressed in a uniform (thankfully not military) that has seen better days, and is clutching a chunky satellite phone to his chest. There's no fear or hostility in his gaze, only the usual deference the people here give to doctors. He also appears alone and unarmed. Only the truly paranoid would suspect this man to be a threat – which is why Bruce is instantly suspicious.

“Yes..?”

Looking relieved, the man extends the device towards Bruce. “Telephone call for you Sir.”

“From who?” the doctor asks, still apprehensive.

“I do not know Sir. My instructions were to wait here for a Dr Bruce Banner – that is all.”

“Who gave you those instructions?”

“A guest staying at the hotel where I work. I do not know his name Sir.” The man's eyes dart to the side as if searching for someone. “Truthfully, Sir, he is not like any other guest who has stayed at the hotel before. He has given me the equivalent of six months wages to come here and has promised a further six months if I am successful in convincing you to take this call. Guests who do such things do not often stray from the tourist quarter.”

Turning his gaze to the crowd around them, Bruce also searches for anyone who seems out of place. If this man is telling the truth then Bruce doubts that it is General Ross staying at his hotel – he just doesn't seem like the sort of person who would be a generous tipper. The same goes for the rest of the military hierarchy: why spend money that could be used to line ironmongers' pockets when intimidation of the local population works just as well?

CIA? Possibly. There were only so many missiles you could throw at the Other Guy before _somebody_ realised that attacking head-on was the worst possible approach to taking him down. Send in a spy, an expert manipulator, someone who could talk the man behind the monster into coming quietly – that would be Bruce's strategy. And yet... The local currency might not match up to the US dollar but a year's wage would still be considered more than loose change. Would any government agency be able to justify that expense to their superiors?

That left the private sector. Before the accident there had been more than one defence company interested in Bruce's research. He suspects the only reason they've not launched their own hunt for him is because they couldn't be bothered dealing with the military and Ross' undoubtedly negative reaction. In all likelihood it's one of them on the line wanting to offer him a job. Or, more accurately, set a trap so that they can lock him up and use him as a lab rat.

Sighing, Bruce pushes up his glasses to rub at tired eyes. “I'm sorry, but I can't take that call.”

“Sir please-”

“No. I'm sorry but I have to go.”

Bruce takes a step back, already considering the most effective way to leave the city, when the phone begins to ring. The man jerks the phone in Bruce's direction and says, “Please answer it Sir! My family needs the money.”

Bruce shakes his head, guilt and pity warring with fear and his well-developed survival instincts. He takes another step back and readies himself for the run through the back streets he'll need to undertake to lose anyone watching him.

“Sir, you need to talk to Dr Ross!”

The Other Guy stirs at the mention of that name and the maelstrom of emotion it conjures.

“Betty? What has Betty got to do with any of this?”

“I do not know Sir. You should ask her yourself.”

He steps forward and once again presents Bruce with the satellite phone. Against his better judgement this time Bruce accepts it.

“Hello?”

“Bruce?”

“Betty,” he breathes, glad that at least this much was not a trick.

“Oh Bruce, it's so good to hear your voice again. And I have the most wonderful news – you won't believe-”

“Are you alright?”

“Yes, I'm fine, I-”

“How did you find me?”

“I didn't.” She pauses. “Don't freak out.”

It's an order. Bruce takes a deep breath. “OK.”

“Tony Stark came to the university about a week ago to give a lecture on robotics and the future of artificial intelligence.”

Bruce closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose. Tony Stark. Head of R&D at Stark Industries, brother to the CEO of said company. At least now he knows what sort of devil he's dancing with.

“After he'd finished show-boating he asked me out to dinner. At first I said no, but then he made some comment along the lines of people living on my salary shouldn't turn down a free meal at the most over-priced restaurant in the city. After that I felt obligated to order the most expensive thing on the menu.”

Bruce fails to repress a smile at that. It's good to know she's still the same Betty Ross he first fell in love with.

“There was some interesting science small-talk before we got down to the real reason Stark asked me to dinner. He wants to meet you Bruce; he says that the two of you need to discuss the future and how certain events are going to trigger a global paradigm shift.”

There it is. The bait, the talk of a new and better world that they can create together. All Bruce has to do is put his trust in a man who holds more capital and global sway than most nations. Trust the industrialist not to be swayed by greed or the power that would come from having his own army of super-soldiers.

“I told him that I didn't know where you were and that even if I did I wouldn't tell him. He said he already knew where you were but he thought you would react badly to him coming to you directly. Or his wife did. Anyway, he said it would be better if you heard the news from me rather than him.”

“What news?”

“They've called off the search. Dad's livid – he showed up towards the end of our meal and started screaming at Stark. Apparently his whole unit is being disbanded and reassigned; and Blonsky is being handed over to some organisation called SHIELD. Stark said the Hulk is no longer something the military need to worry about and that his people are working on getting all the charges dropped against you! You can finally come home...if you want to.”

“Betty,” Bruce replies slowly, “you know it's not that I don't want to come back, it's just that-”

“You don't trust yourself. I know Bruce, and I understand. I just wish you had more faith in yourself.”

Bruce sighs. “I'm also not sure if it's a good idea to trust Stark. A weapons designer wanting to talk isn't much better than the military wanting to 'talk'.”

“He seemed genuine Bruce. He said super-soldiers weren't his thing. At least not ones made of flesh and bone – he seemed to indicate his hypothetical robot army would be far superior to an army of Hulks.”

“That doesn't reassure me for some reason.”

Betty laughs.

“It's good to hear you laugh again Betty,” Bruce says softly, memories of better times flashing through his mind and distracting him from the danger at hand.

“Oh Bruce,” she sighs. “I know you don't trust Stark – or most people for that matter. But...I think you need to talk to him. He's been watching you for a long time. He gave me a thumb-drive containing details of all the good you've done in all the towns you've visited. He knew exactly where and when to have someone approach you today. He's kept his distance so far but if you don't give him something-”

“He'll take a more hands-on approach to get my attention.”

“He said you could pick the place. Or he'd give you his number so you can video-conference. Whichever you feel most comfortable with.”

Bruce sighs, once again rubbing at his weary eyes.

“Are you still in contact with him?”

“I can be.”

“Tell him I need time to think about this. I want to be sure the military really has stopped hunting me before I start trusting him.”

“Yeah, no problem.”

“And if he really can get all the charges against me dropped that would be great too.”

“I'll be sure to tell him that.”

“And Betty...I'm sorry – for everything.”

“I know Bruce,” she says softly. “It really was good to hear your voice again. Promise me you'll call when this mess gets sorted out – if it doesn't turn out to be a trick?”

“I promise.”

“I'm going to hold you to that promise.”

She hangs up and Bruce returns his attention to the hotel employee still standing close by. “Tell your employer that if he lays a finger on her he won't live to regret it.”

Fear flickers across the man's face as he accepts the phone Bruce places in his hands. He takes a careful step back, wary eyes still on Bruce, before turning and running full-pelt into the crowd. Bruce sighs as he watches him go. Looks like it's time to move on to the next town. At least this time there won't be any wanton destruction left in his wake.

He hopes.


	24. Natasha

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Natasha attempts to interogate Loki but mostly ends up flirting and drinking his scotch.

“Good evening Agent Romanov. Is that for me?”

Natasha smiles demurely as she hands Loki Stark the bottle of red wine. “Yes. I hope it's alright; I'm not much of a wine connoisseur.”

“I can believe that.” Stark inspects the label, a small smile playing on his lips. “However, somebody on your team clearly is. This may be a new wine but I've read good reviews about it and its maker. Please pass on my regards to whoever selected it. Or are they listening in on our conversation?”

“Do you think I'm wearing a wire?”

Stark's eyes sweep over her corseted black dress and expanses of exposed skin. “No,” he answers slowly. “But I do think you have a team of heavily armed and highly trained agents awaiting instructions in a van less than a block away. I bet you even have a sniper setting up on an adjacent roof, just in case. Is it Barton? I know you don't trust anyone like you trust him, and when I can see through all your lies so easily I'm sure it must be reassuring to know that he is there. Anyone else who knows about your past might take this opportunity to permanently wipe all the red from your ledger by drowning it in your blood. But not Barton. He's already made a very different call.”

Natasha continues to smile even as her fingers itch for the gun strapped between her thighs. She'd thought it was bad when on her first day as an employee at Stark Industries Loki Stark had spotted her and told her to run back to Fury before she embarrassed herself. She'd been disconcerted that he knew her and, yes, embarrassed that she hadn't been able to convince him that he had mistaken her for somebody else. But this? This was more than him simply recognising her face. It was even more than a detailed reading of her _top secret_ file. The way Stark spoke, the way he looked at her with that killer's smirk – it was as if he knew her intimately. Because those were her words, the very words she would use to describe what Barton had done for her. They were an understatement, obviously, because if she ever gave voice to the gratitude she felt she would be making Clint a target – a weakness her enemies could exploit. Because not all her enemies were dead, and many of them wanted revenge, and she had no idea what she could have possibly done to make an enemy of Loki Stark but if he dared to lay a finger on Clint she'd make sure he was the one drowning in blood.

Stark laughs as he turns and heads deeper into his penthouse. “Oh that wasn't a threat Agent; just a reminder that I know you and your tricks. Trust me, you'll know when I'm making threats.”

It takes Natasha a moment to compartmentalise her emotions. Usually when her marks know her reputation they still underestimate her. Burdened with contempt for their peers and a misogynistic streak a mile wide they are predisposed to disbelieve the tales told of the Black Widow. Natasha knows how to use that to her advantage – a slip here, a fumble there, a defiant but terrified look as her captor dangles her over the edge; within minutes she has them monologuing in a bid to both impress the pretty girl and put her in her place. She'd thought she could do the same with Stark but now she's not so sure. He is arrogant and vain like the rest, but she gets the sense that he will not let those weaknesses cloud his judgement. Not around her anyway. If Natasha didn't know any better she'd think that she'd already played Stark and this was a case of 'fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me'. That couldn't be the case though – she's never interacted with him or anyone in his circle of influence. She'd checked after their first encounter, to make sure SHIELD hadn't missed something, but had found nothing that might connect them. A baffling realisation, and one that left her confused as to which of her countless masks she should wear. Playing the innocent female wouldn't work, nor would the seductress. He'd see through any attempts to flatter or pander to his vanity, and he clearly wasn't intimidated by her reputation as a heartless assassin. That really only left the most dangerous and delicate mask of all: she would have to play herself – or as close as she can get around a stranger.

Pulling out her gun, Natasha strides towards the dinning area where Stark is opening the wine. Noticing her weapon, he slowly puts down the bottle and meets her gaze. She's impressed by the lack of concern; the only thing that gives him away is the calculating look in his eyes as he waits for her to reveal her play.

Slamming the gun onto the table, Natasha drops into her seat grumbling, “If I'd known this was how our date was going to go I'd have worn flats.”

Stark grins as he watches her violently remove her stiletto heels. “Ah, but then I would not have been graced with the captivating sight of you in that dress.”

“Oh, so you _were_ ogling my ass when you had security escort me out?”

“It would be a crime not to admire what is clearly a work of art. Although I must admit to being more of a leg man.”

“Really? I hadn't noticed.”

Stark pours the wine into two glasses and offers them both to her. Smirking, she selects the one in his right hand.

“Cheers.”

Their glasses clink and they take their first taste, both watching the other carefully.

“Does the wine live up to its reputation?”

“Indeed it does. Is it to your taste as well?”

“Depends. What are you serving it with?”

“Ready for the main course already?” Stark sighs. “Very well then. How do you prefer your steak?”

“Well-done.”

Stark raises an eyebrow before shrugging. “It's your steak.”

Natasha waits a moment before following him to the kitchen. Taking a seat at the breakfast bar, she places her gun on the counter beside her wine glass. She watches Stark carefully as he turns on what she guesses is the pan filled with vegetables before moving to the refrigerator to remove the steaks. Placing them on a chopping board on the other side of the breakfast bar, he collects a knife from the rack and expertly slices open the packaging.

“I see you have some skill with a blade.”

Stark flashes her a toothy grin. “Does that surprise you Agent?”

“A little. Where did you learn?”

“A succession of housekeepers and kitchen staff. There was one in particular who thought my brother and I should be able to cook at least one meal without the aid of a microwave. She soon changed her mind when Tony managed to set fire to a pot of water.”

“That wasn't the question I asked.”

“I know.”

Natasha pouts. “That hardly seems fair. You seem to know everything about me; you should share something about yourself.”

“I am sharing. And I never claimed to be a fair man.”

“You're sharing the irrelevant things.”

“As a professional spy I would have thought you'd know by now that no knowledge is irrelevant.”

Smiling, Natasha takes a sip of her wine. “Okay, new question. You're 43, a billionaire, with good looks and a charming demeanour. How come you're not married?”

“Are you offering Agent Romanov?”

“No. Just curious why you aren't going through the usual male mid-life crisis and dating a supermodel half your age.”

“It's simple really: I'm not interested in anything permanent. The occasional discrete affair is more than enough to keep me content.”

“With men?”

“Once or twice, but I prefer women.”

“What about your legacy? Continuing the Stark family name?”

“I have my niece and nephew for that. Are you sure you want your steak well-done?”

“That depends on how likely I am to get food poisoning from your cooking.”

Stark grins. “I've had no complaints yet.”

As the man busies himself preparing dinner, Natasha contemplates how she is going to turn this into a report. Somehow she doesn't think Stark's cooking skills and flirting technique are going to be of much use to Fury. However, she's starting to think that she's not going to get anything out of him that he didn't intend to show her. Even if she slips away to use the bathroom and takes a detour to his personal computer she doubts she'll find anything of use. The night after Stark Industries security had escorted her from the building she'd let herself back in and taken a look at their files. There had been nothing out of the ordinary on the company server or in the file room. She'd had to leave the building empty-handed for a second time, which had been more than a little frustrating. Her next course of action would have been to break into either Stark's penthouse or his brother's mansion. Neither had been necessary because just as she'd been gathering intelligence on the two locations her alias for the SI job, Natalie Rushman, had received an invitation to join Stark over dinner in his penthouse. Clearly Stark had somehow learned that she was determined to finish this assignment and decided to make a move so that he could control the flow of information. That in itself proved he had something to hide – it was finding out what that was the problem.

It doesn't take long for Stark to finish preparing dinner. They move back to the dinning room and her host refills their glasses. They talk about trashy TV and flirt and generally have a pleasant meal. Only when they have finished dessert and Stark has poured them both a glass of scotch do they get down to talking shop.

“Would you like me to tell you a secret Agent Romanov?”

“I love secrets,” Natasha replies as she makes herself comfortable in one of the armchairs facing the fireplace. A fireplace which currently contains a hologram of a fire that generates the same amount of heat as the real deal. Natasha is certain that if she continues drinking Stark's scotch she'll be able to turn that into some sort of metaphor for their 'date'.

Staring contemplatively into his glass, Stark says, “This is a secret which a very limited number of people know, and I would appreciate it if it remained thus. However, I believe that it would be in everyone's best interests if at least one person in SHIELD knew the truth about me.” Stark pauses, takes a deep breath, continues. “The truth is that I am not entirely human. After his numerous encounters with HYDRA during World War Two my father dabbled with magical artefacts that he did not fully understand. Or perhaps it would be better to say that he did not understand them at all? Anyway, the result of his meddling was that his first born son was far more than he should have been. By that I mean that I possess the gift of prophecy, along with some other small talents that I have mostly neglected over the years. That is how I knew you when we first met. It is also why I have performed certain actions which I am sure have ruffled plenty of feathers within your organisation. I have seen what might occur and carefully acted in an attempt to negate some of the more disastrous events in our future.”

Natasha considers him carefully. “I want to call bullshit on your story, but considering the tales I've heard about you I'm not sure if I should.”

Stark smiles at her. “An open mind is a wonderful thing.”

“For you or me?”

“For both of us. I'd be disappointed if you weren't already calculating all the ways having a far-seer on your side would give you an edge on your enemies.”

Natasha nods in acknowledgement of that. “What sort of things do you see? And how accurate are your predictions?”

“I'd classify them as 95% accurate. Sometimes chance distorts certain details, but overall my visions provide enough information to generate effective actions.”

“For example?”

Stark swirls his scotch before taking a fortifying sip. “A few months ago I had a series of visions – each one a puzzle piece that with some persuasion came together to create a very troubling picture. I had originally thought I was witnessing events of the past whose consequences were about to ripple forward into the present. I saw Captain America and Bucky Barnes and the Tesseract – the weapon the Red Skull used to power his army. Relics of history which were lost decades ago.”

The look Stark gives her sends a chill down Natasha's spine.

“But then I was visited by more visions, ones which did not depict scenes which might have occurred in the past. I saw Captain America freed from his icy slumber, I saw Bucky Barnes assassinate Nicholas Fury, and I saw the Tesseract open a portal to the other side of the universe. I saw HYDRA using SHIELD as a front for its own agenda, I saw an alien warlord bring death to millions, I saw those on the Gifted Index rise up with their brethren who have so far avoided detection. I have seen the war that is coming and offer up my services to ensure that the human race survives the attempted annihilation.”

Feigning nonchalance like the professional she is, Natasha asks, “How do I know you've not just been spending too many late-nights on conspiracy theory websites?”

Stark's grin is more than a little predatory. “I have made a list of HYDRA recruits who will not be missed if you take them aside for interrogation. Once you have confirmed the beast is alive and well within your organisation we can move onto cutting off its heads.”

“You know who the leaders are?”

“Most of them. I'm sure you and Fury can concoct some sort of plan between you to make the rest of them panic and reveal themselves.”

“Fury isn't HYDRA?”

“No. Neither is Clint Barton, Maria Hill, or Phil Coulson. Secretary Pierce on the other hand...”

Some part of her shock and horror must show on her face as Stark nods in sombre agreement.

“The infection runs deep and has done so for a long time. It needs to be purged now, lest it tear us apart in the midst of a war we are sorely unprepared for.”

“What do you mean?”

“Has Fury shown you footage of Agent Coulson's adventures in New Mexico? I would advise you watch it; it might help somewhat in preparing you for your own close encounter with aliens whose technology is far more advanced than what the majority of humanity is accustomed to. Especially Justin Hammer.”

Natasha's lips flicker briefly up into an amused smile. “Naturally Stark Industries' CEO was not impressed by the display.”

“Naturally,” Stark confirms.

“But you were concerned by it.”

“Yes.”

“So much that you have decided to risk your freedom by revealing that you're Gifted.”

“Yes.”

“What about your brother? Is he Gifted too?”

“Only in the sense that he is a genius. I'm afraid I am the only one who inherited any supernatural abilities.”

“Would you tell me even if that wasn't true?”

“Probably not.”

Natasha takes a sip of her drink to delay the need to respond. “I don't plan on dragging your family into this, but your brother is already involved with SHIELD. Gifted or not he might already have a target on his back.”

“He is aware of this. As is his wife. They have both taken precautions to protect their family.”

“I take it they both know about your Gift. Does anyone else know?”

“Apart from you? Nobody living.”

The predatory smirk returns, confirming Natasha's suspicions that Stark is a dab hand with a knife.

“Am I to take it that this information is not to leave this room?”

“You may share it with the four people I have confirmed as loyal to SHIELD. But if it happens to travel into untrustworthy ears...”

Natasha knows a threat when she hears it. “I understand.”

“Good.”

After a long pause Stark asks,

“Do you have any more questions Agent Romanov?”

Glancing at the clock above the fireplace, Natasha says, “I think we're done for now. I need to corroborate at least part of your story before we move on to planning how to defeat an alien invasion.”

“Of course. I will get you those names.” Stark finishes his drink before placing the empty glass on the table by his chair. “I must warn you though, some of them may already have disappeared; I gave the same list to the World Security Council so that they could verify my claims.”

Natasha blinks. “The Council knows about HYDRA?”

Stark nods. “Yes. They weren't much pleased when I informed them and demanded I reveal how I had come across this information. I must confess to not being quite as candid with them as I have been with you. My impression of them is that they are very narrow-minded and far too obsessed with their own position to do anything other than fear my Gift. Better they think I have my own personal, superior spy ring than to trust them with the truth.”

As far as Natasha is concerned Stark is spot-on in his assessment of the Council, and in an ideal world she would have kept them as far away from this as possible. Yet she can see why Stark has made them at least partly aware of the threat. The Council has power, has influence, and is likely to make a big splash when searching out traitors – a splash whose ripples she can hide her own investigations in. Their heavy-handed paranoia might just give her and Fury the leeway they need to get the job done right. Or it will get in the way and _they'll_ be the ones on trial for treason.

Sighing, Natasha rises slowly to her feet. “Fury is going to need a tonne of aspirin to survive this headache.”

Grinning more than a little ruefully, Stark walks over to one of the many bookcases lining the penthouse's walls and picks up a USB stick. He hands it to Natasha along with her discarded stilettos, his smile becoming much warmer as she slips back into the heels.

“I have had a wonderful evening Agent Romanov; we must do this again sometime.”

Standing tall, Natasha returns the smile with a surprising amount of veracity. “I'm sure we will Mr Stark.”

“If you find evidence to back up my predictions of doom and destruction?” he asks with a sardonic curve of his lips.

Natasha smirks as she heads for the exit. “Exactly.”


	25. Frigga

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which mother and son are reunited.

When Loki had thrown himself from the Bifrost Frigga had publicly mourned her son. It was common knowledge that nothing could survive in the Void, that to fall into that eternal darkness was to fall into Death's embrace. Yet Frigga was not fully convinced that her son was lost to her forever. The rest of Asgard may believe that nothing could survive the Void but that was only because they did not know Loki. Her boy was far stronger than he appeared – both physically and mentally. If anyone could evade Death's clutches in that place it would be Loki.

 

For a long time Frigga kept this belief that Loki still lived close to her breast, for she knew no good could come from sharing her hope. She could not stand the thought of the pitying smiles she would receive – the grieving mother who could not accept an obvious truth – or, worse than that, the hope in her other son's eyes. If Thor thought there was but a chance Loki lived he would dedicate the rest of his long life to finding his brother. Yes they had fought, yes there was anger and envy in both their hearts; but Frigga did not doubt for a second that her boys loved each other and that given the chance they could reconcile. But first Frigga had to find Loki and bring her baby home – only then could she begin to heal her fractured family.

 

Months passed without Frigga finding a trace of her son. She pushed her clairvoyance to its limits and beyond, gazing past the boundaries of the known universe into a place filled with nightmares. To her eternal relief Loki was not there. But if he was not there, then where was he?

 

Pulling her gaze back towards home, her far-sight happened to pass over Midgard. There she caught a glimpse of a man who very much reminded her of Loki. Intrigued, she moved closer – her longing and heartbreak an almost palpable thing. Much to her surprise the man looked back, a sad smile curving his soft lips. “Hello Mother.”

 

Gasping, Frigga almost lost the connection. She hastily gathered her mental strength and projected her astral image into the room with her no-longer lost son. “Loki,” she whispered, reaching out an intangible hand to him.

 

“In a manner of speaking.”

 

Frigga blinked, taken aback by the reply. “What does that mean? Loki, what has happened to you?”

 

The self-depreciating smile morphed into something hard and unforgiving. “Ask your husband. If you can still think of me as your son after that conversation then you will find me waiting here on Midgard.”

 

With that he buffeted her consciousness back to Asgard, severing their connection. Which was just as well, as apparently she needed to have _another_ conversation with Odin about keeping secrets.

***

Whatever Frigga had expected to learn when she confronted her husband it had not been that her boy had been murdered by the Loki of another timeline. The thought appalled her, but at the same time...there must have been a reason. Loki would not have done it without a reason. She wanted to know what that reason was, and to do that she would need to talk to him. Much to her surprise, Odin forbid her from contacting Loki. When she demanded to know why he had replied that he was not their son. Their son was dead and the man on Midgard was a stranger who had rejected their family in order to create his own. Odin did not know what this Loki planned, but whatever it was it was not for Asgard's benefit. He had made it clear that he had washed his hands of the Realm Eternal and his only concern was for his new family. As such he could not (and should not) be trusted. He should be left alone until Odin was able to discern exactly what future the man was working to create. 

 

Frigga didn't believe a word of it, and she had no intention of abandoning her son unless he dismissed her himself. So she returned to her chamber and turned her gaze back to Midgard. There she found the family Odin had spoken of. The brother, the sister-in-law, the niece and nephew. She saw the love they shared for each other, the way their lives revolved around each other. She saw that her boy was happy, happier than she remembered him being in a long time, and was struck by the truth of Odin's words. Not that Loki couldn't be trusted, but that he had made a new family on Midgard and that he was better for it. If Frigga tried to intervene she would only open old wounds.

 

Besides, Loki's new family was mortal. When they eventually passed he would return to her. Wouldn't he?

***

It has been a year since Frigga learned of Loki's new life on Midgard. Occasionally she still looks upon her youngest son, but for the most part her worry has been directed towards Thor. Thor, who has spent the year bringing peace to the Nine Realms and dreaming of his love on Midgard. A love he has finally decided to introduce to her, although under less auspicious circumstances than she would have preferred. Jane Foster is possessed by a power the universe thought lost, a power that is slowly consuming her. As much as Frigga wishes to interrogate the mortal now is not the time – the priority is to find a way to save Jane's life. But before that can happen Asgard must first defend itself against an unforeseen invasion from an enemy believed to have been dead for millennia.

 

Whilst Jane Foster hides Frigga stands unmoving before the leader of the invasion. Malekith. She is ready to defend the girl to the death if necessary; to protect not just Thor's paramour but the power that lives inside her. Frigga knows her history well and knows exactly what Malekith plans to do with that ancient power. If he gains control of the Aether all of the Nine Realms will suffer. She refuses to stand idly by and let that happen.

 

Just as she raises her blade and makes a move to engage with Malekith's creature a man steps out of the shadows between them, his arm raised in a placating gesture. “There's no need for that.”

 

“Loki,” Frigga gasps, the sight of her lost son causing her to pause.

 

Seizing upon the opportunity, Loki knocks the sword from her hands before grabbing her by the throat and slamming her back against the nearest wall. He leans in close and whispers, “Do you trust me?”

 

Odin's words flash through Frigga's mind. _“He is not our son. He murdered Loki in cold blood. You cannot trust him.”_ Yet when she gazes into the eyes of the man before her she sees clearly how wrong her husband was. Those twin pools of emerald are full to the brim with love for her, with a desire to please, with a fear that for all his efforts he will be rejected. He may not be the exact Loki who she raised, but he is her son. He is the child Odin stole from Jotunheim to use as a piece in his game but who they both came to love as a son. He is Loki and for all his faults she knows that he would never intentionally do her harm. 

 

Keeping her expression as neutral as possible Frigga whispers back, “I do.”

 

Relief and gratitude glitter bright in Loki's eyes before his expression turns hard. She suddenly notices the wickedly sharp dagger in his hand just before it slides between the plates of her armour into her flesh. There is no pain, only the pressure of Loki's fist pressed against her side. She gasps, her eyes meeting Loki's before sliding back to the wound. As the dagger is removed bright red blood stains her gown – but still there is no pain. An illusion.

 

Meeting Loki's eyes one last time to let him know she understands, she allows herself to go limp in his hold. Loki releases her and she falls to the floor. There she lies unmoving as the stain around her fake wound continues to grow.

 

“Who are you?” growls Malekith. “And why do you interfere?”

 

“I am Loki of Jotunheim,” her son answers proudly, and it is with great difficulty that Frigga suppresses a wince. “Odin stole me from my family when I was but a babe and raised me to be his puppet. But now the puppet has cut its strings and intends to use the magnificent distraction you have provided to wreak its revenge. Starting with the AllFather's whore.” He spits at her, barely avoiding her face, and Frigga is forced to remind herself that no matter the venom in his voice it is all an act. Loki is trying to win Malekith's trust and means none of it.

 

“Your revenge just cost me the location of the prize I seek.”

 

“Not at all; I know exactly where the queen hid your prize.”

 

Footsteps, a gasp, a struggle, then:

 

“I believe this is what you were looking for.”

 

“It is. Give her to me.”

 

“Of course.” A pause. “But only on the condition that you return her to me once you have taken what you need.”

 

Silence. Anticipating the worst, Frigga readies herself to dive for her sword. She relaxes when she hears Malekith say:

 

“You may collect what remains of the mortal from Midgard at the end of the Convergence.”

 

“Deal.”

 

More footsteps as the invaders exit the hall. Frigga remains as motionless as a corpse until a hand rests lightly on her shoulder.

 

“They are gone Queen Frigga.”

 

Gracefully the queen rises to her feet, accepting the helping hand offered by her son. Only then does she search out his eyes and ask, “What is your plan Loki?”

 

Her son's smile does not quite reach his eyes. “Malekith intends to unleash the Aether on Midgard at the height of the Convergence and bring darkness back to the Nine Realms. My plan is to wait until he has separated Dr Foster from the Aether before liberating her. I believe she and her colleagues will be able to formulate a way to disrupt Malekith's scheme whilst I provide a distraction. Then all I need is for Thor and his hammer to put Malekith down for good. I leave Thor finding his way to his lady-love on Midgard in your capable hands; there are other pieces in this game that I have not quite finished manoeuvring into place.”

 

Suddenly, a smile breaks out across Frigga's lips and she throws her arms around Loki. “I have missed you my son.”

 

“Son...”

 

Concerned, Frigga pulls back to take in Loki's dumbfounded expression. “Yes Loki. It does not matter where you were born or that you are from another time - you are still my son and I still love you.”

 

“After our conversation you did not reach out again. I thought...”

 

“It was not disgust but love which stopped me from contacting you. You seemed so happy with your new family I did not want to interfere. I knew if we spoke again I would not be able to stop myself from demanding you return home to me. I did not wish to make you choose between your families.”

 

Unshed tears shine at the corners of Loki's eyes. “Thank you...Mother.”

 

Reaching up, Frigga places her hand at the back of Loki's neck and guides him down so that she can place a tender kiss on his forehead. She then releases him and takes a step back to prevent herself from again reaching for her lost son returned to her at last. “I shall handle your brother. You should go make whatever preparations you need for the upcoming battle.”

 

“I will Mother. I shall make you proud.”

 

With that Loki disappears in a swirl of golden light. Frigga waits a moment, basking in the bitter-sweet joy she feels, before rushing to find her eldest son. There is much she needs to tell him.

 


	26. Thor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Thor finally works up the courage to visit Loki after the events of Dark World.

After hammering his fist against the heavy wood Thor steps back and waits. Slowly, the door swings open and a polite voice from nowhere says, “Good evening Sir. I'm afraid Mister Loki is not available at present, but he invites you to wait inside until he has completed his business.”

Taking an apprehensive step across the threshold, Thor looks about for the source of the voice. “Thank you for your hospitality. I apologise for arriving unannounced.”

“Mister Loki has been expecting your visit since London. He assumed that you would have questions for him.”

Thor smiles grimly at that. Yes, he has questions – more questions than he has ever had in his entire life. He had demanded answers to many of them from his parents, but the king and queen of Asgard had been unable to quench his thirst for the truth. They had told him that this Loki was his brother in another time, but he had come from that time to this one for reasons unknown. His father had been aware of him for years and said nothing; he had simply sat back and watched. He had watched as the real Loki descended into madness, watched as this new Loki killed him and then returned home to his new family. And Thor's mother? She had known too, but not for as long as Odin. She'd known and yet she'd trusted this new Loki with Jane's life and the fate of the Nine Realms. Thor would be furious with her if it were not for the fact that it seems her faith was well-placed. After the Dark Elves had retreated from Asgard Frigga had told Thor of Loki and that he was gathering his allies to help Thor defeat Malekith on Earth. There had been little time for questions then. Thor had gathered his own allies and headed to Earth. There they had found the area cleared of civilians and a great battle already in progress. Flying suits of armour reigned fire from the sky, causing havoc amongst the Dark Elves and preventing them from harassing Dr Selvig, Jane, Darcy and her friend. Thor had gone to Jane immediately and she had assured him that she was fine, that she and Selvig had a plan to defeat Malekith. Relieved beyond words by that news Thor had thrown himself head-first into the fray.

Eventually the fighting had ended and Thor had been able to return to Jane's side. It was then that he had learned of Loki's new identity here on Earth: Loki Stark, CEO and business genius of Stark Industries. It had been a shock and Thor had wanted to learn more from Darcy and her phone of knowledge; but first he had needed to return home for a frank discussion with his parents. Only after he had told his father that he would rather be a good man than a good king had he been able to return to Earth to find out more about the brother he'd thought dead. Weeks later, after finally working up the nerve to confront Loki, here he is - ready to hear the answers to the questions which have plagued him for the longest time.

“Would you like a drink while you wait?”

“Yes, please.”

A screen lights up on the wall to his right. “The kitchen is marked as a red X. You will find plenty of refreshments there.”

“Thank you,” Thor says as he consults the map. A simple enough route.

“My pleasure Sir.”

Thor begins to walk and soon enough discovers the kitchen. Looking in the refrigerator he discovers a six-pack of bottled beer. Taking one, he flicks off the top with ease and takes a swig. It is by no means as strong or flavoursome as the ale of Asgard but it is far more pleasing than the Tequila Darcy convinced him to drink to measure his tolerance for alcohol.

Eventually Thor grows bored of staring at lifeless appliances and begins to explore. The voice from nowhere does not comment and the god of thunder decides to take this as tacit permission to go where he pleases.

Not far from the kitchen there is a room full of comfortable furniture, scattered toys and tablets similar to the one Darcy had commanded he bring back from his trip. On the walls there are pictures, mostly of a girl and a boy. The pictures tell the tale of the children's short lives: from baby and toddler in their parents' arms, to laughing youngsters, to their current ages of about twelve and fourteen. In the latest pictures both children are holding awards as they grin proudly down at Thor.

On the mantelpiece the pictures depict different couples on their wedding day. Two have faded with age but the third is still vibrant. A woman with long red hair smiles brightly at the camera as her new husband stares adoringly at her. Next to it is another picture of the couple. This time they are both looking at the camera and are joined around a table by a man in military uniform and a familiar face.

“Loki,” Thor sighs as he studies his brother's care-free expression. There is no anger, no bitterness, no trace of the hopelessness that had deadened his eyes as he let go of Thor's hand and plummeted into the Void. It leaves Thor questioning where it all went wrong, and how coming to Midgard could possibly have changed any of it.

“JARVIS, we're home!”

Thor starts at the shouted greeting. He turns and follows the sounds of people arriving home to its source. There he finds the children from the pictures and the man he has deduced to be their father. For a moment none of them notice him, too distracted by their conversations with the voice from nowhere. Eventually the man glances in his direction and immediately freezes. His gaze travels over Thor's apparel as he says, “JARVIS, why didn't you tell me we had company?”

“As always, Sir, with three Starks in the house I struggled to get a word in edgeways.”

The man's expression darkens with dislike as his eyes meet Thor's. “Kids, go play upstairs.”

The girl rolls her eyes. “Really Dad? 'Go play'?”

“Don't sass me Sarah Stark-”

“Who is he Dad?” the boy interrupts, staring with open curiosity at the thunder god.

“That's not important; just go tidy your toy box.”

The children's shoulders immediately stiffen and they comply with the order without any further questions or comebacks. Their father watches them depart, waiting until he hears two doors slam shut before crossing his arms over his chest and returning his attention to Thor. “So you're the brother huh?”

Thor nods. “I am Loki's brother. I suppose you would also consider yourself the same?”

The man's smile is not the least bit friendly. “Yeah, Goldilocks, I would.”

“My name is Thor.”

“Good for you Point Break.”

There is silence as Thor glares at the smirking man. It does not take long for the other to break it.

“So what are you doing here He-Man? If you're looking for Skeletor I highly doubt you'll find him hiding under Pepper's $500 rug.”

“I am here to talk to Loki. I was informed that I was expected.”

“Weeks ago. When the kids were away and unlikely to get caught up in any space-viking temper tantrums.”

“I am a prince of Asgard – I do not throw temper tantrums,” Thor growls.

“That's not what I've heard.”

Resisting the temptation to roll his eyes, Thor offers the mortal some hard-learnt advice. “I would not believe everything Loki has told you; he has always been skilled at twisting the truth.”

“Oh, I know all about Loki's silver tongue. You can't imagine how many scrapes that thing has gotten me out of. Or maybe you can – from the sound of it Loki was always cleaning up after your messes. Not that you ever thanked him for it...”

“You should watch your tongue and not speak of things you do not understand.”

“Oh I think I understand. You spent centuries taking Loki for granted, never thanking him when he saved your ass, constantly belittling his talents or just sitting back and watching while your friends did, always expecting him to follow and obey like a dog. The only thing he ever wanted was to be your equal but your ego would never allow that. So you helped the rest of your precious realm grind him down until he snapped.”

“Silence! I love my brother and always have.”

“You never showed it.”

Losing control of his temper, Thor grabs the man by the throat and slams him into the wall.

“Thor, release him!”

From out of the shadows steps a man whose face is aged by laughter lines but is no less recognisable as Thor's brother. Carefully, Thor loosens his grip and takes a step back. The mortal rubs at his throat as he says, “One more thing before I go.”

“Enough Tony.”

“If you were the perfect and loving brother you claim to be, why did Loki travel back in time and get himself a new brother?”

“I said enough,” Loki snaps irritably.

Without looking at either of them Tony climbs the stairs after his children. A door slams and Loki sighs.

“Let's talk outside.”

Thor follows him out into the gardens without a word. Loki closes the door behind them but instead of speaking he continues out onto the perfectly manicured lawn. Thor walks beside him, waiting for Loki to begin the conversation. When it becomes clear that his intention is to circle the perimeter of the grounds Thor decides that he will be the one to break the silence. Upon making this decision all his questions and carefully considered words suddenly desert him.

“You are wearing a glamour.”

A look of confusion briefly flashes across Loki's face. “Ah, this.” The illusion of wrinkles melts away to reveal the face of the brother Thor last saw on the Bifrost over a year ago. “I have been living among mortals – it would arouse suspicion if I did not age at the rate they do.”

Instead of continuing the conversation Loki again falls silent. Thor gropes desperately for a way to make him talk to him.

“What the mortal said-”

Loki sighs wearily. “Tony does not like sharing. He does not like the idea that there is another I once called 'brother'.”

Thor's heart falls. “You no longer consider me your brother?”

Loki observes him out of the corner of his eye. “What do you know of me?”

“That we were brothers in another timeline. That you murdered the Loki of this timeline. That you have been living the life of a mortal for the last forty-two years.”

“Then tell me this: do you consider me to be your brother? Or am I just his murderer?”

“I am not a mage – I do not pretend to understand the philosophy of what you did. Or the motive. I came here to ask that you explain it to me so that I might decide whether or not you are the foe Father believes you to be. Or the brother I believed lost to me forever.”

For a moment Loki falls into a contemplative silence. “How did you feel when Odin stripped you of your power and you realised you were unworthy of Mjolnir? Did you feel as if your whole world was collapsing around you? Did you feel lost and broken and desperate to regain what was lost?”

“Yes,” Thor answers breathlessly.

“That is how I felt when I discovered I was not Odin's true-born son. In that state of panic I thought that I needed to show my loyalty to my adopted family by destroying my birth family and saving my adopted home. I honestly thought my actions would make Odin proud. When they didn't my world was once again shattered and I lost all hope. I fell into the Void and came out the other end scarred by my ordeal and thirsty for vengeance. In my timeline I caused so many deaths in my desire to make the rest of the realms share the pain I felt. I could not let a man like that live, even if he was me at one point. I had to stop him from ruining the better future I am building; a future which contains a Loki intent on preserving life instead of destroying it.”

Thor takes his time mulling over Loki's works. “You say you now wish to preserve life. Why the change of heart?”

A small smile tugs at Loki's lips. “Tony. I came here with the intention of either destroying him or bending him to my will. Instead he is the one who caused me to bend. I found in him a like-minded individual who had suffered in ways I could identify with and I vowed that things would be different the second time around. And in giving him a better future I found a reason to be better. I found a reason to fight. He has helped me to heal and become comfortable with myself for the first time. I know who I am now and what I intend to do with my life.”

“And what is that?”

“I want to protect Earth. It is my family's home and I wish to preserve it for them. I want to ensure that my niece and nephew grow up happy and prepared to deal with the challenges of the world. I want to watch the company I have poured my heart and soul into continue to blossom. And when my family dies...I think I will travel. Perhaps I will even return to Asgard, if I am still welcome there.”

“Of course you are welcome Brother. Mother misses you dearly and Father...He cannot be paranoid forever.”

Loki snorts disbelievingly, but there is something vulnerable in his eyes as he says, “So you do think of me as your brother.”

“You saved Jane,” Thor saves gravely. “Your actions that day helped saved everyone in the Nine Realms. I will be eternally grateful for that.” Thor sighs as he ceases walking. He reaches for Loki's shoulder, turning the man towards him before sliding his hand up to cup his neck. “You are not the brother I knew, but perhaps that is not a bad thing. Your mortal brother is right in that I did not always treat you with the respect you deserved. I underestimated you and the pain my actions caused you – and for that I am sorry.”

Loki's eyes widen comically, as if an apology was the last thing he expected from Thor.

The thunder god smiles sadly as he continues, “I have grown since then. I am ready to admit that I was wrong. I hope that is enough to regain the brother I thought dead.”

The dark smile Thor receives in return is not what he expected. “That brother is dead Thor – both literally and metaphorically. I have also changed and I refuse to return to being your sidekick.”

“I understand that, and it is not what I meant,” Thor growls. “You may have changed but you are still Loki. You are still the brother who filled my bed with spiders, who insulted my armour, who helped me liberate sweets from the kitchens, who wove tales of wonder around the fire, who made me laugh like no other could. You may have changed but that does not stop you from being Loki. It does not stop me from wanting to know the man my brother has become. I do not wish to regress to what we were; I wish to learn what we can become.”

Loki's eyes shine bright as he says, “I am sorry too Thor. I am sorry for letting the Frost Giants into Asgard and ruining your coronation. I am sorry for baiting you into travelling to Jotunheim. I am sorry for lying; for trying to kill you and your friends. I am sorry for all the misdeeds you will never know as I have erased them from history. I was arrogant, and angry, and hurt, and jealous. But through it all I still loved you. You idiot.”

Thor's own eyes burn bright as he embraces his brother. Loki chokes on a laugh.

“ _Sentiment.”_

“Long overdue sentiment.”

Eventually Loki presses against Thor's chest and the embrace is broken. “We should get back to the house. Tony said the safe-word to the children and has likely not told them that we are not, in fact, under attack.”

“Safe-word?”

Waving his hand dismissively, Loki sets off towards the house. Thor follows until the brothers are again walking side-by-side. “Will you be staying for dinner? If you are then please keep your temper in check. I will attempt to stop Tony from restarting his pissing contest, but he does sometimes struggle to follow directions. He won't actually escalate to physical violence unless you make the first move and I absolutely forbid you from doing so.”

Thor laughs at the bossy tone. “I have missed you Loki.”

After a moment of silence Loki replies, “And I have missed you...Brother.”

 


	27. Pepper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Pepper is thankful for her family (even if they do drive her crazy on days ending in Y).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double update, so make sure you check out the next and last chapter!

Christmas has always been a chaotic time in the Stark household and this year is no exception. Not only does Pepper have to juggle running her own company (Loki made her CEO of Stark Industries ten years ago so that he and her husband could run off to play superhero without having to worry about anything as mundane as _board meetings_ ) and negotiating with the mansion's staff so that there will be somebody there to prepare dinner on Christmas Day, but she also has to perform the near-impossible task of ensuring that her family are all in the same place at the same time. 

Robert is the easiest to pin down. Although he is currently living on the other side of the country he is the one person to always pick up the phone whenever she calls. He runs the SI facility in LA and in time will likely succeed Pepper as CEO. Five years ago he married one of the company's patent lawyers and now they have two sons: Brandon (her son is as big a Game of Thrones geek as his father) and Edward.

Sarah is a party girl and, although she is supposed to be running the Research and Development branch of SI in Tokyo, that doesn't mean she won't be dancing on the streets of Rio or flying about in the suit of armour she has dubbed 'Iron Maiden' when Pepper has scheduled a conference call with her daughter. Over the last few months she has becoming better – which Pepper puts down to the influence of her new girlfriend. Apparently the model turned journalist has been whipping Sarah into the shape of a semi-responsible adult.

Tony is regularly in Malibu playing the part of doting grandfather, sometimes to the extent that he forgets that he has a  _wife_ waiting for him in New York. He is also a politician and the face of the Registration movement. He is the reason the appearance of aliens and super-powered humans did not end in a total disaster. With the help of Loki, Nick Fury, and a few other key helpers he was able to bring in global legislation that was strict but fair. There is still much disagreement about it and Tony regularly has to fire-fight, but overall it has done much to help those with powers get the training they need without them being tagged and constantly monitored like felons.

Loki spends most of his time assisting Tony or fulfilling his obligations to the Avengers. During one of the many attempted alien invasions Earth has faced over the years Loki had revealed his true power (although not his true identity) and been forced to join the Avengers Initiative under the same legislation he'd helped to draft. Loki had been annoyed by the inconvenience of it all but knew he couldn't wriggle out of it without undermining all of Tony's hard work.

Finally there's Thor, a rather more recent addition to their Christmas gatherings. He is also an Avenger and required to check-in with the team for mandatory training in the same way Loki is. If nothing else the frequent teamwork drills have helped to mend the bond between the brothers enough that three years ago Loki invited Thor to join them for Christmas dinner. The god of thunder has not missed a dinner since.

“Have I told you how much I love you?” Tony murmurs as he wraps his arms around Pepper from behind. His breath smells of wine and the sumptuous Christmas dinner they have just consumed.

Pepper smiles. “Not recently.”

“My bad.” Tony presses a sloppy kiss to her neck. “I love you Honey. Christmas has been perfect, as always.”

“Good,” Pepper replies as she places her hands over her husband's. “Hopefully our divine in-laws won't spoil it tomorrow.”

Tony groans. “Remind me again why we agreed to visit Thor's parents in Asgard?”

“Because Christmas is a time for family; even family that is only related to us by magical intervention in time... And you know what it means to Loki.”

Although Loki's relationship with Odin is still turbulent there has definitely been progress over the years. There is now an understanding between them that, whatever issues they have with each other, they will not do anything that will impact on the happiness of Frigga. Apparently that includes allowing Loki and his mortal family to attend one of the Yuletide feasts in Asgard.

Upon receiving the invitation Loki had acted as if such a thing was more of an inconvenience than an honour – but Pepper knows her brother-in-law well enough to know the truth. To be welcomed with open arms by his family into his childhood home... It has helped to heal an old wound Loki hadn't even realised had never closed.

“You do know that we've only been invited because Thor hasn't done his son-ly duty of providing grandkids right?”

Pepper laughs at that, her gaze travelling from Edward's valiant attempt to crawl to his aunt, to the very one-sided conversation between a three year old and his Uncles Loki and Thor. “I don't mind. Do you?”

“Nah. I relish any opportunity to show-off my grandsons.”

They descend into silence, both lost in thoughts of how lucky they are to be here and to be so happy.

In a more subdued voice Tony asks, “How many more Christmases like this do you think we have left?”

Pepper ponders that for a minute – combines Tony's age with his health, factors in the same for the rest of the family, estimates how much of an error margin Loki will allow for his own calculations. She squeezes Tony's hands and whispers, “Enough.”

 


	28. Loki

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Loki says goodbye.

It is after Tony's first cancer scare that Loki decides it is time to leave.

At this point in time it does not take long to put most of his affairs in order. He has his lawyer update his will so that all the wealth, stocks and property he has acquired will go to his niece and nephew. He writes down instructions for which songs will be played at his clone's funeral (he has learnt his lesson about leaving the musical accompaniment to special events up to Tony) and who should be invited and which poems should be read at the service. He sorts through his possessions, donating what he will not need and transporting those he wishes to keep into the safe hands of Frigga. He makes a list of the acquaintances he wishes to say goodbye to and another detailing how best to phrase these parting words.

He is surprised by the number of people who notice that something has changed and take him aside to ask if he is well. It warms him to know that he is cared for, to know that when he is gone that these people will miss him – but they are all mortal and will not survive to see the turn of another century. Loki cannot bear to watch them die; he has come a long way from the mad, angry, hurting creature he was but he knows deep down just how fine a control he has on his sanity. To watch Tony waste away in a hospitable bed – failed either by his mind or his body or both – would kill Loki. It is in the best interests of them all that he leave.

Tony is not surprised when Loki tells him this. They'd talked about it years ago, about Loki having to fake his death at some point if he was to maintain the myth that he was simply an ordinary human gifted with extraordinary abilities. They'd discussed when would be the best time to implement the plan and what Loki would do once he was 'dead'. Tony had wanted him to stay, hidden in the background, but Loki had sworn he would never be a shadow again and eventually Tony had given up on trying to convince him. He'd accepted that Loki would leave, that it would be as if he really had died, and taken comfort in the fact that his departure day was a long way in the future. Now that day is here and, although Loki can tell that it pains his brother, Tony is ready and willing to do whatever he can to bring the plan to fruition.

With Pepper's help a day is chosen and a timetable organised. One by one Loki visits the friends who do not know his true identity. He shares a beer with Rhodey; they laugh and Loki reminds him of his duties to Tony and his godchildren. He takes Natasha on a date; they flirt and threaten and dance both literally and figuratively. He antagonises the other Avengers for the last time with tricks, good-natured ribbing, and advice they don't want to hear but really need to get through their thick skulls. He visits Fury in the retirement home in Florida and tells him the truth just to see his reaction, safe in the knowledge that by the time he leaves the man won't remember his ever visiting.

Finally he says goodbye to his family. He plays games with his great-nephews, he parties with his niece, he helps his nephew master that one spell that he has been struggling with. He spends a day reminiscing with Pepper and then puts her to bed when she has one Martini too many. He spars with Tony until they both collapse and begin to talk about all the important things they won't have a chance to say tomorrow. Tears run down both their faces and for a moment Loki does not know how he can leave his brother behind.

His resolve returns the next day as he weaves the spell to create a clone of himself – an empty shell that died of a brain aneurysm during the night to be found by his family the next day. This is the fate that awaits his family; Loki will still be young when Brandon and Edward meet their end. This is how things were always meant to end.

Pepper crushes him in a hug and wishes him well in his future adventures before stepping back to let Tony say his last goodbye. The brothers hug in silence. Everything that needs to be said has already been said. All that is left is sentiment.

“I'm going to miss you Asshole.”

Loki laughs as his eyes burn. “I will miss you too little brother.”

“Take care of yourself. Try not to have too much fun without me.”

“I never could.”

“Take care of yourself or have fun without me?”

“Perhaps a little of both.”

Eventually they release each other and Tony moves to stand beside Pepper. She wraps an arm around him and he leans into her embrace. Watching them, Loki knows that he has no regrets.

“Farewell. May the rest of your lives and the lives of your progeny be blessed.”

With that Loki turns and walks the long path between worlds to Asgard. Frigga and Thor await him there: concerned by the tears shinning bright in his eyes but happy that they finally have him all to themselves. “What do you need of us Brother?”

With a wave of his hand Loki is dressed in the Asgardian armour he has not worn in decades. His grin is full of pain and heartbreak but also the fire of love and hope.

“A new adventure.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I planned a lot of the scenes I wanted to write when I first started this story. Thor's last chapter marked the end of what I planned and, although I built up a lot of headcannon, there weren't any particular scenes I felt the need to write. I could leave you guessing for another 6 months about wheher or not there would be a chapter on how Sarah Stark is her father's daughter; or how Robert Stark fretted for weeks about telling his fiance he could do magic and then she wasn't the least bit surprised because, well, Loki is his uncle; or how Tony and Thor's pissing contest got out of control and they somehow became the best of friends. But to tell the truth my muse is more interested in other projects so I thought it best to round the story up with a chapter that sums up what happened to the family, and one that details how Loki's life on Earth ended and his new life on Asgard began. 
> 
> Thank you for all your support over the last 4 and a half years. It's been great fun and I hope you all think this fic got the ending it deserves!


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